Guitarist in Olivia Rodrigo’s Favorite ’90s Hard Rock Band Reacts to Her Shout-Out: ‘Who Would Have Guessed?’
Olivia Rodrigo has proudly worn her influences on her sleeve during her rocket ride to pop stardom, whether it’s giving them songwriting co-credits on her album (Taylor Swift, Paramore) or including them on her upcoming tour in support of her sophomore album, GUTS (The Breeders).
But when she told Rolling Stone in a new cover story that the opening track of her second album, “All-American Bitch,” was inspired by the OG Riot Grrrl band Babes in Toyland and incendiary political rockers Rage Against the Machine, well, one of them couldn’t believe it.
“Who would have guessed? @oliviarodrigo,” Rage guitarist Tom Morello tweeted on Wednesday (Sept. 13) along with a pic of Olivia and a pull quote from the RS story in which the Grammy-winning singer said, “I have been listening to so much Rage Against the Machine this year. That’s my favorite band right now.”
Though Rodrigo’s songs are spiked with 98% more radio-friendly pop flavor than Rage’s flamethrower rap-metal anthems, she explained in the RS story that the Zack de la Rocha-fronted band’s songs of seething vengeance and furious anger at social inequities were basically all she listened to during the GUTS sessions.
“I would just play it over and over again on my way to and from the studio,” she said of the band’s songs, lamenting that she wants to attend Rage’s induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on Nov. 3 at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, but cannot make it because of an “immovable schedule conflict.” She told the magazine that the conflict is maddening. “I am literally going to cry myself to sleep about it,” she said.
In the meantime, Rodrigo announced the dates for her 2024 GUTS tour on Wednesday, which will also include support from PinkPantheress, Chappell Roan and Remi Wolf on select dates.
See Morello’s tweet below.
Gil Kaufman
Billboard
