“If you have a the beat great song, you have a great song,” says Gallagher. Steinfeld PREVIEW BACK IN TUNE As Hailee Steinfeld readies for the release of Pitch Perfect 3 — the third installment in the Q&A series that follows a cappella group the Barden Bellas — she can’t help but notice how closely her own life mirrors the plot. ‘What Happened To Rock?’ Come Dec. 22, she’ll reunite with co-stars Anna Kendrick and Rebel Wilson, as the movie’s group Noel Gallagher has moved beyond traditional guitar music — with High Flying Birds, the members again join forces after Oasis vet leans on oddball sounds and Kanye’s influence (but still takes digs at brother Liam) trying to find separate paths in the real world. “A couple of years had gone by between the BY RICHARD BIENSTOCK second [film] and this one, and the whole time it felt like we were living the storyline,” says fter forming Oasis in his thing is all vibe. My thing is During interviews to promote it, he the 20-year-old. “Here we are, a bunch of [actors] that love what 1991 with his brother all songs. Anything that sounded often talks about you. we get to do together. It never Liam, Noel Gallagher like stuff I had done before, he Look, I’m here doing my thing, gets old.” scaled massive heights, would dismiss. It was a fantastic right? He’s over there. He’s also When Steinfeld first took on A the role of Emily Junk in 2015’s selling millions of records before way to work. doing my thing. He’s promoting his Pitch Perfect 2, she had just acrimoniously — and very publicly record. And mine. And I’m fucking released her debut EP, Haiz — she — leaving the band in 2009. But it’s grateful for that. has yet to put out an LP, but has with his post-Oasis collective, Noel since placed five songs on the Gallagher’s High Flying Birds, Have you heard the album? Billboard Hot 100, most recently with Alesso on “Let Me Go” that the British rocker has grazed I heard [the single] “Wall of Glass,” (featuring Florida Georgia Line more unorthodox pastures. The and the one that sounds like Adele and watt). While filming this group’s third album, Who Built the being strangled by a premenstrual time around, her acting and music Moon? (Nov. 24), is its bear. Whatever that one’s called. careers aligned once again as she recorded new material “wherever most experimental yet, I could” in between scenes for incorporating French Do you think guitar bands will ever a mini-album or possible full- pop, ambient soundtrack again be as massive as you guys length slated for the top of 2018. STUDIOS. LBERT/UNIVERSAL (“I can’t wait to release a full cues and hip-hop into Above: Noel (left) and Liam in were with Oasis? body of work,” she says.) 2008. Noel Gallagher’s High his trademark Brit- With guitars, I find people in modern As her own music career Flying Birds’ third album (inset) rock anthems. A recent arrived Nov. 24. bands wear them as opposed to blossoms, Pitch Perfect has performance of album playing them. And you’re just like, provided the easiest way to marry her Hollywood ambitions with track “She Taught Me How to Fly,” for How did Kanye West inspire the “What happened to rock’n’roll?” her musical leanings. “You get instance, featured a woman snipping lead single, “Fort Knox”? None of it is sexy. The Rolling Stones to call singing and dancing to a pair of scissors in time as a sound I was in the studio the day Kanye put were sexy, right? Oasis had a bit of your favorite songs work for four effect. (“I thought it was the greatest out “Fade.” We were like, “Fuck, that’s swagger, you know what I mean? months,” she says. “It’s insane.” —LYNDSEY HAVENS thing I’d ever seen,” says Gallagher.) amazing,” and that led us to talking The 50-year-old shares thoughts about his song “Power.” And it was What about Shawn Mendes and Ed on his new direction, Kanye West’s just like, “We should do something Sheeran, who are guitar-centric? influence and, of course, what he has like that...” That’s how a lot of the Shawn Mendes, I don’t know who to say about Liam’s recent music. tracks started. that is. I struggle with Ed because I’m not a fan of his music but I like For Moon, you collaborated with Your brother, Liam, recently put out him as a guy; he’s a good guy, man. producer David Holmes, best known his own album, As You Were — But that whole loop-pedal acoustic for his soundtrack work. What did Hang on a second. Did you say thing? It’s like jazz or whatever. But he bring to the table? “his own album”? Not sure he can really, when you break all that shit From left: Chrissie Fit, Brittany Snow, He got me to try different things. claim ownership of it. He didn’t down, if you have a great song, you Steinfeld and Kendrick in Pitch Perfect 3. David can’t play any instruments — fucking write it. have a great song. ARESU/REX/SHUTTERSTOCK. PERFORMANCE: GIUSEPPE LAWRENCE WATSON. PORTRAIT: STEINFELD: TRUAX. CO MEREDITH STILL: QUANTRELL D. FILM 52 BILLBOARD | DECEMBER 9, 2017.