Olivia Rodrigo and Phoebe Bridgers talk tour anxiety and "scary" side of fame

Los Angeles, California - Ahead of her sophomore album, Olivia Rodrigo opened up to Phoebe Bridgers as the musicians got candid about their complicated relationships with touring, mutual love of Twilight, and everything in between.

Olivia Rodrigo (r) and Phoebe Bridgers chatted about songwriting, fame, and more in an interview promoting Rodrigo's sophomore album, GUTS.
Olivia Rodrigo (r) and Phoebe Bridgers chatted about songwriting, fame, and more in an interview promoting Rodrigo's sophomore album, GUTS.  © Collage: Theo Wargo / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / Getty Images via AFP & Frederic J. BROWN / AFP

In a conversation published in Interview Magazine on Tuesday, the 20-year-old singer admitted she felt "ill-equipped" for the release of SOUR in 2021.

The "overwhelming" intensity of the release of Rodrigo's debut album, and especially the persistent media scrutiny she faced about her personal life, greatly influenced the writing of GUTS.

While the pressure of fame may seem like a far-off concept for most, Rodrigo argued that "fame is more accessible than it has ever been" in the age of social media, which gave her more of a push to address it in her music.

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"Anytime something bad happens with my career, I'm like, 'Wow. I'm so lucky that I get to do this.' You have to be grateful," the traitor artist said. "So many people would love to be in this position. But you still have to acknowledge trauma."

No stranger to media intrusion herself, Bridgers echoed the sentiment, saying, "Behind every, especially famous, woman is a bunch of really scary emails."

With the 29-year-old Kyoto artist fresh off back-to-back tours with Taylor Swift and boygenius, the pair also discussed the trouble of touring as Rodrigo approaches a potential GUTS-era concert series.

Will Olivia Rodrigo go on tour for GUTS?

While there has been no official word on a tour in support of GUTS just yet, Rodrigo is expected to upgrade to larger venues after making the distinct decision to opt for smaller venues for the SOUR tour despite her immense popularity.

"I feel so lucky that I get to tour. I'm in such disbelief that people want to come and see me play my little song. But it's really difficult to go for long periods of time," she admitted. "I'm still figuring out how to do it all and what that looks like for me."

As for Rodrigo's plans for the highly-anticipated release of GUTS on Friday, she just may take up Bridgers' idea of simply watching Twilight and taking things easy.

But that will have to wait as the Grammy winner is set to hit the Big Apple for a performance at Rockefeller Center on the big release day.

Cover photo: Collage: Theo Wargo / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / Getty Images via AFP & Frederic J. BROWN / AFP

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