'I've always had a sort of strange life even before': Olivia Rodrigo on why growing up in Hollywood doesn't bother her

Many might agree that the entertainment industry isn't a conducive environment for a child.

However, American singer-songwriter Olivia Rodrigo, who spent her teenage years in Hollywood, seemed to have managed it fine.

At least that's what she implied when we asked her about it during a virtual roundtable interview on March 19 for her upcoming film Driving Home 2 U.

[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-VVHUq4tOzg[/embed]

She shared: "I've always had a sort of strange life even before [entering Hollywood]. I was sort of in the limelight, I suppose. I was homeschooled since I was really young, and I'm an only child, and I've always been kind of creative and loved to keep to myself."

Olivia began life in Hollywood as an actor at the tender age of 12. She made her acting debut in the direct-to-video film An American Girl: Grace Stirs Up Success.

Her most notable role came four years later when she was cast in the Disney+ High School Musical series in February 2019.

Then, the starlet made her mark on the music scene in January 2021 with her debut single, Driver's License. About a year later, the song has been streamed over a billion times on Spotify. 

Following the release of Driver's License, she launched a massively successful debut album, Sour, that gave us heart-wrenching ballads such as Deja Vu and Traitor.

With her meteoric rise to fame, singing alone in the bedroom — something she confessed to doing in the film — soon turned to live performances in high-stake environments.

"This is what I've always been doing. Now, people are looking at it a little differently which is really exciting. And I'm really grateful that I get to write songs and people want to hear me sing them," she told AsiaOne. 

In the film, Olivia goes on a road trip from Salt Lake City to Los Angeles, just like she did when writing her album.

Her documented road trip has multiple pit stops along the way and these stunning locations provide the backdrop for new live arrangements of her songs.

Throughout the journey, she also shares intimate interviews on topics like heartache and how she navigates life as a young woman.

When asked what was the most difficult thing to be open about, she singled out the GoPro footage of her and her producer Dan working in the studio.

She said it was initially "nerve-wracking" to include that and was uneasy about it as it could easily have been misinterpreted.

However, it eventually became her favourite scene of her film.

"I think it's really cool to have that insight into such a magical process that is making music," she explained.

Not a lot of women in rock

Olivia is currently rehearsing for her Sour tour, which will travel across US and Europe, and she is excited to "cultivate an all-around experience for people, visually and sonically".

Her all-female band will be part of the tour and Olivia is looking forward to rocking it out on stage with her female friends.

In response to a question about the importance of female friendships in the music industry, she said: "I love working with women. I think female friendships are the most fulfilling relationships in the world."

Olivia also pointed out that there aren't many women in the rock genre.

She added: "I love performing rock songs, especially with women. I remember growing up and not seeing a ton of women in rock.

"So it's always really empowering to me to kind of watch, girls shred on the guitar and stuff like that."

Driving Home 2 U drops March 25 on Disney+.

amierul@asiaone.com