Green Day’s Billie Joe Armstrong has hinted that their forthcoming new Butch Vig-produced album could take a “powerpop” direction.
The frontman did not reveal song titles or details of the songs they are currently working on in the studio, but name-checked the Creation, the Who, the Beatles , Cheap Trick , and the Jam as possible influences.
“I really like f–king with arrangements,” Armstrong told Alternative Press Magazine. “I always try to look at the possibilities of how you write powerpop music.
“How do you take something–and it could be anything from the Creation and the Who to the Beatles to Cheap Trick to the Jam–and try to expand on the idea of what is supposed to be three-chord mayhem?
“How do you do it in a way where the arrangements are just unpredictable? So I’m pushing myself to be progressive in songwriting and being a songwriter.”
The frontman went on to discuss working with Vig, who produced Nirvana’s seminal grunge album Nevermind in 1991. “He doesn’t take for granted what we have here [in the studio],” he said, “but he uses everything to the best of his knowledge and the best of his ability.
“I mean, he gets psyched on a f–king microphone! That’s inspiring. That’s amazing. He’s not a cheerleader type of producer; he’s just a very hard-working, straightforward guy.
“He’s very Midwestern, too. For example, he’ll turn around when you’re working on something and just go, ‘That’s badass.’ And you’re like, ‘What do you mean, ‘badass?’ Is that more bad, or is it, like, ass?'”
Green Day posted video footage of them working in the studio with Butch Vig in October.