The Linda Lindas’ Talking to Myself: A Brave Punk Band Inspiring Change

I fell in love with the Linda Lindas when their Racist, Sexist Boy video went viral last year. They were raw, brave and embodied everything I love about music. Well, they have followed that up with a full LP, Growing Up, which is tight, sharp, catchy and honest. I love this record, but we are going to focus on the third track Talking to Myself.

Musically, the band has evolved from their grungy Bikini Kill-esque sound that many fell in love with. Even though there are some crunchy tracks in that vein, Talking to Myself and other lead singles have a tighter pop punk aesthetic. This more pop sound does not round the edges as much as sharpen them. If their crunchy tracks are more Bikini Kill, Talking to Myself reminds me of Green Day’s Kerplunk. You see a band still honing their sound and tweaking at the boundaries of each track. Having said that, the Linda Lindas are a classic four piece punk band performing extremely well and I am excited to see where their sound goes on future records.

Vocally the track is far more grounded in a pop punk vibe and really serves me My Chemical Romance’s Welcome to the Black Parade, which is a tremendous track…but I will save that discussion for a future post. The girls are still tackling growing up in the 2020s with a track about stress, anxiety and mental health. They sing about talking to themselves through daily stressors and feeling amazed that they are still alive with everything they have experienced. I think us old people can relate to this when we think back on our teenage years / early 20s. I can only speak for me, but I think “Damn, how am I still alive?” Moreover, they sing about how you “talk to me / because I am talking to myself.” I think this is a clever line about helping each other through life when we see another person doing it tough.

Much like Racist, Sexist Boy, Talking to Myself is a wonderful coming of age punk track. The Linda Lindas are singing about their challenges, which teenagers…and some of us a little older…can relate to. Above all else, the Linda Lindas come across as honest and genuine. Nothing in this track / album comes off as created in a focus group. It is a group of girls singing about their daily challenges, as well as their pet cat, from the heart. That grounded vibe gives the band a heart, which really adds to the music.

I love this band and they are everything I love about music. They are using music to make sense of the world around them, as well as be inspirations for other girls to pick up a guitar and a set of drumsticks in order to have their voice heard. Woody Guthrie’s guitar read “this machine kills fascists,” which signified that his music was a vehicle for change. Much like Guthrie, the Linda Lindas are using their version of pop punk to change the world around them. When you think about it, they are brave, strong and inspirational. At least to me they are.

Listen to Talking to Myself