Olivia Rodrigo on 'Guts' movie, her world tour and what's next

After spending most of 2024 on the road, Olivia Rodrigo is back home. Her time off, however, comes with a gentle reminder that she needs to take it easy for now. “I’m sick as a dog,” she says between coughs.

A well-deserved break begins for Generation Z's preeminent rock star. Their world tour in support of the second album offal was her greatest in every respect: she played in arenas for the first time and opened up new markets, including in Asia and Australia. Her 95 shows this year were attended by 1.4 million people and grossed $186.6 million, making it the most successful tour by a female artist born this century.

To mark the end of the shows in 2024 (she has a few more to complete in South America and England next spring and summer), Rodrigo released the Guts world tour Movie on Netflix this week. Filmed during their set at the Intuit Dome in Los Angeles last August, Rodrigo and Netflix are bringing one of the most exciting tours of the year straight to fans' homes.

Ahead of the film's release, Rodrigo spoke to Rolling Stone about what life looks like after their longest tour to date – and what the future looks like afterwards.offal looks like.

What have you been doing since you came back from Australia?
I just saw all my friends. It was so beautiful. The road can be pretty lonely and I missed everyone so much. It was so good for my family and friends and I was able to just relax and drive. Everyone talks about how nice it is to sleep in your own bed after a while, but driving your own car is also very nice.

This was your biggest tour in every way and you finally got to take a truly global trip. What were the good and bad aspects of this experience for you?
It was my first arena tour and I got to visit so many great places that I had always dreamed of, for example in Asia and Europe. I just feel like I've seen so much of the world and cultivated a lot. So that was so much fun. But being on stage night after night for months on end is a real strain on the body and mind. You can start to go a little crazy if you don't make a real effort to stay grounded, talk to people, call your therapist, and make sure you're taking care of your mental health. So there were definitely some days that were more difficult than others in that regard, but I'm glad I did it. I feel like I have become a much stronger person because of this experience. I'm just grateful for the whole thing.

What have you done to take care of yourself along the way?
I would watch Sex and the city daily. I'm not even exaggerating. That was my consolation show.

I read a lot on the go to really try to be a good reader and learn something. I made it a point to exercise for both mental and physical reasons. A show is very physically demanding, but I've found that exercise really helps me stay somewhat centered.

In the billboard On your tour, one of your managers mentioned that even arenas might play a minor role given the demand. Are you thinking about stadium shows on your next tour?
I'm undecided. I mean, it's so crazy to me that the demand for tickets was so high that I could have played in stadiums. That's something I can't quite imagine yet. The biggest venue I played was in the Philippines and I think there were like 55,000 people there, which isn't even a stadium. It's a little smaller than a stadium. And it felt so different. So I'm not sure yet, but I really enjoyed playing in arenas this time. It felt intimate enough where I could see people, but there is so much energy because there are so many people in the room. But I'm not against anything! I'm looking forward to everything.

Of course, the film is a great way for people who didn't get tickets this time to experience the show from home. Did you always know you wanted to film your hometown shows in Los Angeles?
I did, even though it made me a little nervous. I'm really nervous about the shows in LA and New York because all my friends are there, so having them filmed was just another nerve-wracking aspect. But it was really special to film it in my hometown. I don't think I would have it any other way. I have such a great connection to LA and LA has served me so much inspiration over the years. It felt random.

You recorded offal I had the live show in mind and had been planning the stage show for a long time. What aspects of the tour were you particularly proud of?
Doing a show is so crazy because you can literally say, “Yo, I see a moon in my head,” and the next day you show up and there's just this gigantic silver moon for you to sit on. As a creative exercise, it's so much fun.

I'm really proud of how interactive the show was. I feel like even when you were sitting in the nosebleed, you really felt like you were part of the experience and were screaming along and just as engaged as the other person. I'm really proud of that aspect, and I also really liked some of the rock elements of the show. I really set out to create my own version of a rock show, so to speak, and that's why I find some of the rock songs really exciting. It was really fun to watch her in the movie.

Are there any rock shows that you have seen live or concert films that have been found to be inspiring touchpoints for your performances?
I grew up listening to rock music, but mostly I love girl rock bands and riot grrl bands. I liked Hole, Sleater-Kinney, L7 and Babes in Toyland. They really inspired me and I think that's why I wanted an all-girl band on stage. It feels very feminine on stage, but we're all playing power chords and screaming. There's something funny about that.

You were able to get one of your favorite bands, the Breeders, as your opening act for shows in New York and LA. What was it like watching this band that inspired you so much before playing your own set?
It was so cool. I grew up listening to them all the time, and the song “Cannonball” changed my life as a songwriter. I remember when someone said, “Why don't you ask them to open for you?” I was really afraid to ask, and so the fact that they even agreed and showed up and played these shows I find easy so cool for me. I'll never forget it. And they are so kind and wonderful and such brilliant musicians. I'm glad people appreciated it as much as I did

When I re-watched the film, I could see a lot of Gwen Stefani's performances with No Doubt in the way you carried yourself on stage. Was there anything that impressed you about the way she commanded the stage after you joined the band at Coachella in April?
Oh my god, I love this girl so much. She is a huge inspiration to me, both as a songwriter and as a creative person. After watching Coachella, I don't know if this is necessarily inspiration, but I was so amazed at how fit she is. She's the fittest girl I've ever seen. It's always been like that. At Coachella, she climbed the stage lights and ran around. She does push-ups during her show. I just looked at her and said, “Wow, I need to go to the gym more.” She's epic and so powerful.