A fixture on any shortlist of model-musicians, Staz Lindes has always been twice as uncommon as others with that ineffable L.A. cool girl air that follows wherever she goes. If brands could bottle the rarefied style she naturally possesses they would–and they have tried. If so before, probably more now: her band The Paranoyds just released their first music video for the song “Girlfriend Degree” off their upcoming (in September) album “Carnage Bargain.” The Paranoyds, a thing since 2015, in total is Laila Hashemi, Lexi Funston and David Ruiz alongside Lindes. “Girlfriend Degree” is just a taste of things to come says Staz, “The Paranoyds are graduating to real muscianhood this September 13th with our full-length debut via Suicide Squeeze! There will be a music video or two before that and then the rest is tour history.”
The video which features pop-pink Barbie nightmares in the form of a feminist manifesto jam is directed by Ambar Navarro. “We sent her a list of new songs and she started picturing the Barbies almost instantly with “Girlfriend Degree”,” she tells us. Though the experienced model is a veteran on sets, a production this collaborative and personal was a significant experience. “It’s very exciting and slightly scary when you see something actually coming to life. You spit ideas back and forth with the director and get excited and then you panic and you’re like, “Wait does this even make sense? And now were involving all these people?” Ambar is seriously such an inspiration, She is highly ambitious, but actually nails it and gets the work done. I am still blown away by the Barbie puppetry each time I watch the video. Anyways, watching everybody come together and believe and play along with this concept was really such a heart swelling moment. It’s like the imaginary concepts you come up with on play dates as a kid but now we’re adults and money is involved [laughs].” As for what she brought to this set from her training in fashion: “The best thing I got out of the fashion industry was learning respect for every person’s job from assistants to lighting et cetera. Most people are on their feet all day every day, getting yelled at, being bullied by somebody nasty, even holding up heavy objects above their heads for hours. I don’t feel above anybody, I even feel guilt sometimes, and this is a lesson that has spread outside of the fashion industry and touches all aspects of life.”
Watch the video for “Girlfriend Degree” below. You can preorder the album now.
