Confession time! I was at a Comic Con in 2024 dressed as Velma from Scooby Doo (Look we all have the right to live our own lives and have fun lol) and there was a band playing – Lina and the Lions. So I got to listen to some great music and have so many lovely people around all enjoying the day. I retain a soft spot for this band who have a little niche in the hearts of all of us who have creative imaginations and wish we were in the Mystery Machine or dressed like Catgirl!
We have featured Lina and the Lions in the magazine before, from memory I think Benny interviewed them and did a great piece. Anyway…here is the press release for the new single before I review it.
Lina tells us, “I wrote 17 Yesterday after hearing a 17 year old talk about the fear and pressure of turning 18, that sudden expectation to wake up the next morning as a fully formed adult. Like somehow, when the clock strikes midnight, you’re supposed to have all the answers. Answers to questions you haven’t even had the chance to ask yet.
It got me reflecting on my own life at 17. Back then I thought I knew everything! A little arrogant, sure, but at the same time I was scared. What would I be like as an adult? I was figuring out my body, my image, and of course… boys. I had crushes I never had the guts to talk to, but maybe I liked that part too. I liked the mystery, the daydreaming, as if we were characters in an 80s summer romance.
While recording this song, Lee and I ended up watching Close Encounters of the Third Kind. Later, it hit me: growth is a lot like meeting an alien. Strange, uncomfortable, otherworldly and impossible to imagine until it happens. But it’s also exciting and life-changing. That image stuck with me and shaped the whole feeling of this song and our new upcoming album “Of A Third Kind”.
Sound wise, I wanted 17 to feel angsty and melancholy all at once, restless, like it’s clawing to break free. Lee added vocoder on the middle 8 to give it that sci-fi feel (I wanted E.T. singing along), and the guitars are gritty and raw. It’s the moment where the dreamer, the quiet romantic, flips the switch and finds their punk. They’re becoming, but on their own terms.
And honestly, that journey never ends. Even now, as a grown woman, I still read self-help books to discover more about myself and life.
Because whether you’re 17 or 70, we’re all still becoming. Growth doesn’t have a deadline. It doesn’t follow a birthday or a calendar. We all arrive in our own time. And that’s ok.”
My review:
“17 Yesterday” begins with a spacey sci-fi vibe before a rock guitar kicks into the mix. It is a distinctive sound, delivered with the usual intensity from this alt-pop rock duo (fronted by singer-songwriter Lina Lane alongside guitarist/producer Lee Feltham). The track certainly has an alien punk appeal, in fact if we have a visitor from Mars I expect them to be joining the party. It certainly places a marker down for the coming album – more than anything it’s fun.
This single has that scrappy, cosmic energy that makes Lina and the Lions impossible not to root for. 🚀🛸 If you’ve ever daydreamed about being in a John Hughes movie and hitching a ride in the Mystery Machine, this one’s for you.
And we hope you liked the review, dear reader! If you did, please check out the other pages of the magazine; we have many great features, merchandise pages, shops, editorials and even a poetry page. Content is free here, but we work hard for you, and to support the magazine, please show your appreciation on the support button below and buy me a coffee!
You can stream music from Lina and the Lions here
By Anna-Louise Burgess