Green Day frontman Billie Joe Armstrong is taking a step back on some comments he made about his work with the ever-controversial Morrissey following months of backlash.
Last year, Armstrong lent his musical stylings to Moz's covers album California Son for a track called "Wedding Bell Blues." At the time, the Green Day leader called the collaboration "an honour," but he has since changed his tune in the wake of criticism concerning Morrissey's far-right ties.
Speaking with Moz's favourite publication, the Guardian, Armstrong is now saying that he wasn't aware of the Smiths frontman's allegiance to the far-right wing political group For Britain, nor his recent controversial behaviour.
"I wasn't aware until the song came out," Armstrong told the publication. "We do the song, and he was very lovely, and then the song comes out and a lot of Brits were like, 'What the hell are you doing?' I really did not have a clue."
He continued: "Hey, we've all got our Ted Nugents, right?"
While his admission doesn't quite read as a message of support for Moz, Armstrong has yet to fully denounce him either.
In the months following Morrissey's most recent scandals, Armstrong is the only the latest of many to get sucked into the controversy. Broken Social Scene's Ariel Engle even admitted that she regrets having worked with Morrissey on California Son. Billy Bragg, Brandon Flowers, Nick Cave and Damon Albarn have also made their stances on the singer (and his opinions) known.
California Son was released back in April 2019. Morrissey plans to put out a new album titled I Am Not a Dog on a Chain on March 20 via BMG.
Green Day and Armstrong just released their new album Father of All... last week. Read our review of that record here.
Last year, Armstrong lent his musical stylings to Moz's covers album California Son for a track called "Wedding Bell Blues." At the time, the Green Day leader called the collaboration "an honour," but he has since changed his tune in the wake of criticism concerning Morrissey's far-right ties.
Speaking with Moz's favourite publication, the Guardian, Armstrong is now saying that he wasn't aware of the Smiths frontman's allegiance to the far-right wing political group For Britain, nor his recent controversial behaviour.
"I wasn't aware until the song came out," Armstrong told the publication. "We do the song, and he was very lovely, and then the song comes out and a lot of Brits were like, 'What the hell are you doing?' I really did not have a clue."
He continued: "Hey, we've all got our Ted Nugents, right?"
While his admission doesn't quite read as a message of support for Moz, Armstrong has yet to fully denounce him either.
In the months following Morrissey's most recent scandals, Armstrong is the only the latest of many to get sucked into the controversy. Broken Social Scene's Ariel Engle even admitted that she regrets having worked with Morrissey on California Son. Billy Bragg, Brandon Flowers, Nick Cave and Damon Albarn have also made their stances on the singer (and his opinions) known.
California Son was released back in April 2019. Morrissey plans to put out a new album titled I Am Not a Dog on a Chain on March 20 via BMG.
Green Day and Armstrong just released their new album Father of All... last week. Read our review of that record here.
