Lina Sophie & Richey Rose first met in November 2017 in NYC and discovered a shared love of indie-rock bands from the UK like Suede, Manic Street Preachers and The Cure.

Forming Songs for Sabotage, the duo’s first album Night of Joy drew from these guitar-centred sources, with splashes of the pop sensibilities of bands like Roxette.

Having dubbed their debut their “New York album”, the pair decided to relocate to LA in the midst of the global Covid pandemic, where they completed what would become their second album, Clean Trauma (reviewed for New Noise Magazine here).

While still demonstrating their indie-rock roots, the pair made a conscious decision to lean into pop aesthetics, with catchy hooks and prominent use of synths.

On the eve of the album’s online release I caught up with the pair to talk about the album, their musical inspirations, growing up as outsiders and the practicalities of being independent artists.

You can listen to Clean Trauma on the usual streaming platforms, or buy a copy from the Songs for Sabotage bandcamp page

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