Musicians on Musicians: Billie Joe Armstrong & Billie Eilish

Green Day

Billie Joe Armstrong of Green Day and Billie Eilish sat down to talk with Rolling Stone:

That’s good. Things happen so rapidly now. It’s like people go through a cycle of music like it’s a fucking Instagram page, where you just sit there and flick through pictures all the time. I think it’s a new frontier for [Green Day], which is really fun. We’re not gonna have a record deal, which is awesome. I’m able to put out whatever I feel like anytime. I did the Longshot record, and I got to put stuff out on SoundCloud. So it’s like it doesn’t matter if you’re in a punk-rock band or in a pop group or hip-hop. It doesn’t matter anymore.

Cymbals Eat Guitars Break Up

Cymbals Eat Guitars

Cymbals Eat Guitars have broken up and frontman Joe D’Agostino will be starting a new solo project:

Causes of the breakup included deep exhaustion with touring, bassist Matt Whipple’s decision to return to school for interior design, and a brooding sense that — despite consistent acclaim and a committed cadre of fans — “there was nowhere else for us to go.” During that grueling final year, the band toured with alt-rock legends the Pixies, “which was just crazy — like, dream scenario stuff,” the singer says. “And then we went back to the same cities that we played with Pixies in to headline, three months later. And nobody came.”

Grayscale’s Unique Merchandise Passion

Grayscale

Collin Walsh of Grayscale talked with Quentin Singer at Forbes to talk about the band’s unique merchandise and business model:

From a simple glance at the band’s online store, their merchandise is undoubtedly a major step above most young bands, and even many mainstream artists. From the photography, the designs, and just the overall presentation of their apparel, some might confuse Grayscale as a new streetwear brand, rather than one of the alternative rock scene’s finest new bands. Elaborating on how the band created such a successful merchandise model, vocalist Collin Walsh and creative director Jordan Mizrahi, detail the evolution of Grayscale and how it’s become a clothing brand just as much as an alt-rock band.

Social Distortion Begin Work on New Album

Social Distortion

Social Distortion has begun pre-production on their new album:

“We’re scheduled loosely to go into the studio in January,” he said. “But after this October show, we get back into pre-production and the good news is that in the last 15 years, there’s songs that didn’t get used but feel like they’ve just been written, there’s new songs and I think we came up with 23 songs right now. I have to go through those and pick the best 12 or pick the ones that work best together. The other good news is that we might shock everyone and put two records out in two years. People aren’t going to know how to act.”

Cassadee Pope Confirms Hey Monday Reunion Set

Cassadee Pope

Cassadee Pope has confirmed with Alt Press that Hey Monday will be playing a reunion set at her upcoming homecoming event:

I definitely can say Mike [Gentile, guitar] and Alex [Lipshaw, rhythm guitar] from Hey Monday. So far, they’re the only ones I can say that I’m positive are coming. I know a few others have said they’re definitely coming, but I also don’t want to say that and then have it in writing and then you know… But definitely Mike and Alex, which I’m so excited about. That’s like the heart and soul of the band, you know? The three of us were the first members to come together in West Palm Beach. I went to high school with Alex, and Mike played in my band Blake before Hey Monday. So the three of us really were the ones that put the band together in the first place and formed first. So it’ll be really exciting. I can’t wait.

Gerard Way to Score ‘Clerks 3’

Gerard Way

Slash Film is reporting that Gerard Way will be scoring Clerks 3.

Smith revealed that Gerard Way will be scoring Clerks 3, according to /Film reader Mario R, who was in attendance at a Monday roadshow event for Jay and Silent Bob Reboot. Smith has been hitting the road for the past few weeks to promote the Fathom Events release of Jay and Silent Bob Reboot, but that doesn’t seem to have prevented him from calling up a few favors and getting the band back together for Clerks 3.

Yellowcard Suing Juice WRLD

Yellowcard

Chris Eggertsen, writing at Billboard:

According to a complaint filed Monday (Oct. 21) in U.S. District Court in California, former Yellowcard members William Ryan Key, Peter Michael Mosely, Longineu Warren Parsons and Sean Michael Wellman-Mackin allege Juice WLRD and his collaborators copied “melodic elements” from their 2006 song “Holly Wood Died” for the rapper’s blockbuster 2018 single without permission. They’re asking for damages in excess of $15 million and a “running royalty and/or ownership share” on all future exploitations related to the song or, alternatively, statutory damages “for each act of copyright infringement” and for defendants to be “permanently enjoined” from exploiting “Lucid Dreams” in the future.

And:

Yellowcard’s attorney, Richard Busch, issued a statement about the lawsuit in which he explained, “This was not a lawsuit the guys wanted to file. They put all of the parties on notice a long while ago and gave them every opportunity to try to resolve it. That notice was pretty much ignored leaving them with no real choice. As alleged in the Complaint, this is not just a generic Emo Rap song, but is a blatant copy of significant original compositional elements of Holly Wood Died in several respects. Beyond that, everything we have to say is in the Complaint.