On new album GUTS – and particularly opening track All-American Bitch – Olivia Rodrigo hails Rage Against The Machine for their influence on her, having played them “over and over again on my way to and from the studio”.
Following the emo/pop-punk crossover success of her 2021 debut album Sour – and especially the single Good 4 U – Olivia Rodrigo has revealed that she turned to some heavier sounds for her follow-up album GUTS.
Released last Friday (September 8), the pop superstar has told Rolling Stone in a new interview that her latest record was inspired by plenty of throwback punk and alt.rock, like Babes In Toyland (“Rock in that feminine way, that’s just the coolest thing in the world to me,” she enthuses).
Olivia also says that Rage Against The Machine are her “favourite band right now”, and the rap-metal legends particularly influenced the album’s opening track All-American Bitch.
“I have been listening to so much Rage Against the Machine this year,” she says. “That’s my favourite band right now. I would just play it over and over again on my way to and from the studio.
“I want to go to the Rock Hall Of Fame so bad because they’re getting inducted,” she continues, though admits she’ll have to miss it due to scheduling, and is “literally going to cry myself to sleep about it”.
In the same Rolling Stone interview, Olivia also reflects on 2021’s songwriting situation regarding Good 4 U, with Paramore’s Hayley Williams and former guitarist Josh Farro later being giving songwriting credits for the single due to its similarities to Misery Business.
“I was a little caught off guard,” Olivia admits. “At the time it was very confusing, and I was green and bright-eyed and bushy-tailed. Is that the phrase?
“It’s not something that I was super-involved in,” she adds, referring to her role – or lack of – in giving Paramore credit. “It was more team-on-team. So, I wouldn’t be the best person to ask.”
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