Foo Fighters frontman Dave Grohl has said he is being urged to write more ‘silly’ songs as the band continue to work on the follow up to 2007’s ‘Echoes, Silence, Patience, Grace‘.
In an interview with NME, Grohl admitted he was asked by bass player Nate Mendel to try a less serious approach to his recent songwriting. “At one point Nate sent me an email, and said, ‘I really like it when you write songs that are silly and mean nothing, too,” he said. “You don’t have to try and write ‘Imagine‘ every time you sit down with a pen and paper.”
Grohl also further elaborated on his earlier claim that the new material would contribute to Foo Fighters’ ‘heaviest record yet’, saying the comments persuaded producer Butch Vig to ditch certain tracks. “When we were demoing we came up with all this heavy shit, so I said in an interview ‘this is going to be our heaviest record yet’,” he added.
“Butch saw it and then when I’d approach him with a new song idea, he’d say, ‘This doesn’t rock enough, no… Next.’ I’d have to show him another one.”
As well as his former Nirvana producer, the new album is also reported to be featuring Grohl’s former Nirvana bandmate Krist Novoselic. In addition, Foo Fighters have announced two large outdoor UK shows at Milton Keynes Bowl on July 2nd and 3rd next year.