Dave Grohl says watching his two daughters begin to learn music inspired him to return to the roots of the Foo Fighters and write a song on which he'd play all the instruments.
Grohl famously wrote and performed nearly every part on the Foo Fighters' 1995 debut album. So in his new two-part mini-documentary, PLAY, he ups the ante by using loops to record all seven instruments of a mammoth 23-minute song in one take each.
Through a press release, Grohl said that one of the things that so fascinates him about music is how no one can truly master it.
"Watching my kids start to play music and learn to sing or play drums, it brings me back to the time when I was their age listening to albums, learning from listening," he said. "And when I take my kids to the place where they take their lessons, I see these rooms full of children that are really pushing themselves to figure this out. And even now, as a 49-year-old man, I'm still trying to figure it out...You're always chasing the next challenge, and you're always trying to find a way to improve on what you've learned."
PLAY will be available for download on Aug. 10. Check out the trailer above.
Grohl first revealed plans for the project in May, saying he might never release the song or video of the session, but he was going to give recording it a shot "Just because I can."
"I'll hit play and the clock will start ticking," Grohl said in an interview. "I will record the first drum part, then I will run to the next drum set and play another drum part that will record over the first. Then I will do the same with all the guitars, all assigned to a different moment in the instrumental.”
Foo Fighters is taking an August break before resuming its Concrete and Gold Tour in North America in September. Get the tour dates here.
Photo: YouTube / Foo Fighters