Olivia Rodrigo Opens Up About Life on Tour, Song of the Summer, and GUTS Popup

Olivia Rodrigo is obsessed with LA. Like, really obsessed. (She even made a whole collection of tank tops and hoodies about it.)

After spending the past six months on the road for the GUTS World Tour, the 21-year-old singer is back in Los Angeles for six arena concerts this month, and she’s very happy to be home. Between shows, she’s been running around to her favorite restaurants (the breakfast at Jon & Vinny’s on Fairfax comes highly recommended) and she even goes so far as to call LA “the best food city in the world.”

“I'm obsessed with LA for many reasons,” Rodrigo gushes. “Best weather. Best food. I will live and die by that. Best sushi, best Mexican food... So good. It's just amazing. Dreams come true here.”

LA loves her back. As she sits inside the GUTS popup at Complex LA on August 15, a line of fans stretch around the block, waiting to come inside. Her first two albums, SOUR and GUTS, connected with listeners on a very deep level, thanks to Rodrigo’s unflinchingly honest songwriting about the exciting, but often messy, realities of growing up. Onstage, her songs are even more raw and in-your-face, as her band rips through guitar solos while she yells at the top of her lungs during songs like “all-american bitch.” (“I love making the audience scream,” she says with a smile. “It just feels very cathartic.”)

Even as she’s become one of the biggest pop stars on the planet, Rodrigo has managed to stay relatable, speaking to the up-and-down feelings every person goes through as they form their own identities and figure out how to navigate the world. No wonder fans are packing into arenas and flocking to her popup for a chance to connect with the person behind the songs.

In the middle of her big stretch of LA shows, we caught up with Olivia Rodrigo during the first day of the GUTS popup, which takes place Thursday, Aug. 15 to Sunday, Aug 18. It’s open to the public each day from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. at Complex LA (433 N. Fairfax Ave., Los Angeles). In conversation, Rodrigo gives an update about life on the road, what she’s been listening to, and more. The interview, lightly edited for clarity, is below.

How's life?
Life is good. I'm in LA, doing my hometown shows, so I'm super happy.

You've been on the GUTS World Tour for most of the year. What makes this tour stand out for you? What are the vibes like right now?
The vibes are great. It's my first arena tour, so going into it, I was really excited and a little nervous, but it's been so amazing. It's been so cool getting to go to all these places that I've never been before and play these songs that I've been living with for so long. It's been a really great time.

What's been your favorite song to perform on this tour?
I love playing "all-american bitch" live so much. It's my favorite, and I love making the audience scream during the scream part. It just feels very cathartic. I always look forward to it.

What's the funniest thing that's happened on tour so far?
The only thing I can think of is we were in Kentucky or some place in the South, and there were these little horses that you could get on and pedal, and they'd gallop with you. We loved them so much that we bought them to put on the bus, and they go everywhere with us. [Laughs.] So we have these little horses that come everywhere and they're our primary mode of transportation around the venue.

While you're on tour, how do you pass the time? Do you have any recent obsessions?
Oh, wow. Well, I sleep so much on tour. I sleep for 13 hours a day sometimes. I'm so exhausted. So that passes a lot of the time. But I've just been reading and I've been watching all of my comfort shows. I've been watching Sex and the City every day to make myself feel like I'm grounded and at home. [Laughs.]

What book are you reading?
I'm reading The Secret History by Donna Tartt. I'm almost done. It's really good.

What's on your pre-show playlist? What songs have you been listening to on tour?
I have a very good [playlist]... So, I'll do some cardio before I go onstage. Soulja Boy, I sometimes listen to get hyped. What else? "FTCU" by Nicki Minaj. Just hype songs like that.

Do you have a Song of the Summer pick?
I mean, I love the Charli xcx and Billie [Eilish] song "Guess." So good. It's been on repeat.

GUTS is closing in on its one-year anniversary next month. When you reflect on the album now, what makes you most proud?
I worked really hard on this album and it wasn't always easy, so I'm really happy that I persevered and ended up making something that I'm really proud of. It taught me a lot about discipline and creativity and how sometimes even when you're not, like, "I'm just dying to sit at the piano," sometimes it's just [important to] hone in on your craft. Just sit there and hash things out. So I'm really proud of that, and I think I've really sharpened some of my songwriting skills in making that album. I'm proud of that.

You're currently on a run of big shows in LA. What is it like performing in LA compared to everywhere else?
It's amazing. It's kind of weird, I've been on tour for so long in various cities around the world, so it's interesting to just wake up in my own bed and be like, "Oh, time to play a show today!" It throws off my routine a little bit, but it's so nice to be home, and have all my friends and family come to the shows. It's a really good vibe.

You have some merch here at the GUTS popup with Complex that says "I'm so obsessed with LA." Can you tell us why you're so obsessed with LA?
I'm obsessed with LA for many reasons. Best weather. Best food. I think LA is actually the best food city in the world. I will live and die by that. Best sushi, best Mexican food... So good. It's just amazing. Dreams come true here... [Laughs.] That's so cheesy.

We have other pieces of merch here, too, from the Complex popup. Any favorite pieces?
I think my favorite is that tank top. [Points to white tank top with black and white photo]. That one's so fun. It's a photo that we took right before I went onstage, and I think it's cool. I love a tank top. [Laughs.]

Why should people come to the popup this weekend?
You should definitely come to the Complex popup this weekend. It's so fun. We got all my tank tops from all the shows hung up, some posters, just good vibes all around. And really cute merch, so come on by. You don't want to miss it.

What is one thing you want to spill your guts about right now?
Oh my God. Well, since we're on Fairfax right now, I just want to spill my guts about how good Jon & Vinny's breakfast is. Nobody goes for breakfast, but you have to go for brunch. It's amazing. That's what I'm spilling my guts about today.