In a New York Times profile published online today, Olivia Rodrigo discussed her forthcoming album GUTS with pop music editor Caryn Ganz. Rodrigo shed some light on the new project, saying that she reached out to Jack White for advice while recording. “He wrote me this letter the first time I met him that said, ‘Your only job is to write music that you would want to hear on the radio,’” reads the article. “Rodrigo then pauses and says, ‘I mean, writing songs that you would like to hear on the radio is in fact very hard.’”
Rodrigo also mentions St. Vincent as a mentor. Annie Clark reflected on their relationship in the story, saying, “I’ve never met anyone so young and so effortlessly self-possessed… [Rodrigo] knows who she is and what she wants—and doesn’t seem to be in any way afraid of voicing that. And just a really lovely girl too. I’ve never heard her say a bad word about anyone.”
Check out the full profile here, which also highlights Bikini Kill/Le Tigre vocalist Kathleen Hanna as a mutual admirer.
