Green-tinted Noughties mind

MANILA, Philippines - The guys from Green Day talk about the making of “21st Century Breakdown,” the band’s first album of new material in nearly five years, following 2004’s controversial and compelling “American Idiot.” Billie Joe Armstrong, Tré Cool and Mike Dirnt also discuss Green Day’s evolution as a slacker band into one of the most cause-oriented bands today.

What can you say about the Christian and Gloria characters on the album?

BILLIE JOE ARMSTRONG: I don’t think there’s really a linear story that goes throughout “21st Century Breakdown.” I think, uh, that Christian and Gloria just sort of represent sort of the yin and the yang that I think that most people identify with. (The) inspired person is Gloria and the self-destructive person (is) Christian. I think they’re just characters that developed over time.

In the album we start to notice a continuity throughout the whole record when I was reading the lyrics to the guys. These people symbolize something that everybody can relate to.

Tré Cool: I think we all have our dark moments where we, don’t really can see past the rage. And I think we all have those tender moments where we just really, you know, feel love and, and compassion. Both characters are pretty well rounded in that they could be anyone.

MIKE DIRNT: Yeah, there are times where you feel very connected to your ideology and to your beliefs. And there are other times where they are so questioned through life.

BJA: There are times when I feel empowered and I feel like I can make a difference, or a song inspires me to be — which is the soundtrack to some kind of revolution in my head. I relate mostly to that on my finer days.

But like then there are those days when self-destruction comes in. It can be anything from just having a little bit of a hangover, but then it could also be like, you know, hanging over the, the Golden Gate Bridge (laughs).

Can you tell us about the band’s work ethic? How did you guys work on this album?

BJA: I think we work harder than every other band that’s out there. I do believe that we finally have the ability to trust ourselves and have the courage to go, to take it as far as we possibly can in making albums. We worked our asses off on this record.

MD: The last record has afforded us this really great opportunity to push ourselves further. It’s given us the confidence to trust ourselves and trust the process enough to want to dig deeper. And now we can’t wait to take this thing on the road and play some shows.

TC: We definitely, uh, dug ourselves through the seventh level of hell on this one. But now it’s time to have some fun and tour.

How has the band evolved musically?

BJA: We’re naturally evolving, not trying to force evolution, which is cool. I mean if people want to genre jump that’s fine with me. I’m sure one day we’ll probably do that as well. 

We started in ’94 out as the slacker band. And now I feel we’re known as being the most socially-conscious band that’s out there. It’s like we’re going from one extreme to the other within a period of, you know, 12 to 15 years or something.

MD: Usually when we’re either afraid or feel backed into a corner, that’s when you want to lunge back and grab it by the horns.

BJA: When you raise the bar higher than you’ve ever gone before, you have to have patience. And there’s also pressure that’s involved, too. (Take) a song like Restless Heart Syndrome (for example). I kind of wanted to push that into the future, but (producer) Butch Vig said you’ve got to chase down that melody, chase down that melody, because there’s something there. But that was sort of a challenge to get ourselves to go for a song like that. And it turned out all right.

Can you describe your songwriting process?

BJA: Every song is different. Every day is different. Every mood is different. Murder City is like a traditional Green Day punk song, but at the same time, there are two sides of it.

Certain songs have different places and different times, you know. And it kind of depends on where it ends up. So, it’s all unpredictable.

Can you cite your influences?

TC: I think we went through a lot of different records on this — vinyl records particularly.

MD: There were times we just listened to British Invasion (records), and other times it was really garage-y sort of stuff. I walked in the other day and Django Rinehart was playing. You look at a record like “Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars” and you don’t have to listen to that 1,000 times to be subconsciously influenced by it. It’s just that good a record. But when you start to think about what it was — or something like “Dark Side of the Moon” — and how far they were reaching for it, it’s pretty amazing.

Do you guys still surprise yourselves musically?

MD: I think we all surprised each other in the middle of the recording of this record when we, uh, drank 11 bottles of wine and came in here on an old tape machine and recorded, uh, you know, 10 or 11 Foxboro hot tub songs. And I was shocked. We came in with nothing and walked out with pretty much a record. It was a really great way to unleash maybe some untapped things that you had inside of you. And it was a really fun night, too. 

For Green Day, what’s worth fighting for?

TC: I’ll fight you over that Coke (laughs).

BJA: What are you rebelling against? What do you (have)?

TC: I’d fight for this band.

MD: Your right to party (laughs). 

TC: fight for your right to party, fight for music, fight for art, fight for your relationships, fight for your family…

MD: You know, choose your battles.

BJA: Fight for the truth, that’s all I can really say. This is a record that’s about trying to find the truth, but we don’t claim to have answers for anything. We’re just trying to figure out (things amid) the confusion, in everything that you got to deal with in the world. For me that’s what the record is about. It’s just trying to find the truth.

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Green Day’s “21st Century Breakdown” is available in leading record stores nationwide under Warner Music Philippines. Interview and pictures courtesy of Haze Romawac, Warner Music Phil. international/strategic marketing executive.