"It Was My Gateway To Pop Punk" - Paperweight Guitarist Luana on Green Day - 'American Idiot' | theMusic.com.au | Australian music news, gig guide, music reviews

Fine and dandy like pop-punk candy, Melbourne quartet Paperweight have spun a pandemic origin story into non-stop triumphs. The name on the tip of every Aussie pop-punk kid's lips heading into 2022, the band's dizzying ascent is set to continue this weekend when they join Hot Milk as support for the stacked State Champs and The Maine co-headline tour.

To coincide with the tour run, the prolific pop-punks have released a fresh new single 'Lemon Spiders'. Accompanied by a glow-lit video clip that is a must-watch, 'Lemon Spiders' is a sharp and deliciously grittier step forward for the quartet following the release of their recent EP Green Lotus Blooms.

Thematically declaring war on toxic traits on both individual and broader levels, 'Lemon Spiders' sees Paperweight team up with the iconic Stevie Knight (Stand Atlantic, With Confidence, Yours Truly, Short Stack) to bring the infectious bounce, sharp riffage and serpentine vocals to life. Equally an infectious earworm and laden with pure catharsis, 'Lemon Spiders' fluidly embraces alternative pop rock flavours and an affable snarl, while ultimately spotlighting those who tear others down rather than be happy for their success.

To celebrate the release of 'Lemon Spiders' and the tour with some of the world's foremost pop-punk heavyweights, we spoke to guitarist Luana about the album that changed her life. Green Day's iconic 2004 punk-rock-opera American Idiot.

The Album That Changed My Life - Luana from Paperweight on Green Day's American Idiot

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"American Idiot was a pivotal album for me - it was my gateway to pop-punk."

"For someone with a terrible memory, I vividly remember the first time I saw the 'American Idiot' video clip - I was 11 years old and absolutely mesmerised. The crunchy guitars, the gushing green water, the black shirt with a red tie, the heart grenade - I hadn't seen anything like it."

Shortly after discovering the song, I went to Sanity's IN2MUSIC store with my little brother Adrian (remember music stores?)... they had a "buy 2 albums for $50 sale" (and remember when we paid for music?) - Adrian picked Eminem's Encore and I picked American Idiot. That was it."

"It was the first album I'd ever heard where the songs flowed into each other and told a story. It was the first time I heard a song that went for more than 4 minutes ('Jesus of Suburbia' + 'Homecoming'). It was the first time I'd heard catchy pop choruses over distorted guitars. I was hooked. I eventually had to buy a second copy of the album because I thrashed my first CD so much."

"I started playing guitar in 2007 and these were some of the first songs I wanted to learn. It was also the moment I realised that if I just learned to play a power chord, I could play this entire album. 'Jesus of Suburbia' was my favourite to play - so many different parts to the song and different strumming patterns to learn. It was the 'Bohemian Rhapsody' of the 2000s."

"Speaking of 'Jesus of Suburbia', one of my favourite memories attached to this album was when my family and I were out for dinner at a restaurant with a Jukebox... when it was my turn to pick a song I chose 'Jesus of Suburbia' - I thought I was so clever, getting bang for my buck... $1 for a 9-minute track while every other sucker only got 3 minutes for their $1."

"Bringing it back to 2022, I don't think I can pick a favourite song. Maybe 'Letterbomb'? It changes all the time. I've decided I really want to learn drums, and the first song I want to learn is 'Holiday'. So maybe it's 'Holiday'. This album is timeless."

"To cap off my ramblings, we definitely need a 20-year anniversary tour of American Idiot in 2024 - black suits/red ties and all. I'd honestly fly anywhere in the world for it!"