Dave Grohl: “Every record has been our last record”

As Foo Fighters prepare to release their twelfth studio album, the band reflects on a journey that continues to defy their own expectations. Speaking with BBC Radio 6 Music’s Huw Stephens, Dave Grohl admitted that the band’s longevity is a surprise even to them. When Stephens noted that The Beatles’ twelfth and final album was Let It Be, Grohl quipped, “Every record has been our last record. So, I kind of feel like at this point you just kind of—you make a record and you go, ‘okay, well, let’s do it again and let’s see what happens.’”

The latest chapter in the Foo Fighters story involves new drummer Ilan Rubin, who jumped into the “deep end” with a series of grueling, small-venue shows in San Luis Obispo. These sets, which stretched nearly three hours, were designed to “break the ice” and “play these big, long, sweaty shows for our hardcore fans.” Grohl recalled the adrenaline of those nights fondly, noting that after a nearly three-hour set, Rubin was still hungry for more. “Ilan was like, ‘oh, I feel like I could do another two hours’ and I’m just like, slow down!” Grohl laughed.

For Rubin, the youngest living inductee into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the transition was a whirlwind of early-morning texts and instant studio sessions. “I’m getting coffee at 7 in the morning as a fairly new dad and I get a text from Dave saying, ‘hey, want to come over later today, get some big drum sounds from a small kit?’” Rubin remembered. “I’m like, ‘that’s fast, let’s do it.’”

Despite the rock-and-roll lifestyle, the recording process at Grohl’s home was grounded in domestic reality. While the band tracked upstairs, Grohl was often pulling double duty as a parent. “Once I’m finished, like, singing or playing guitar, I run downstairs and I’m making someone dinner or I’m waking them up for school,” Grohl said. “I love that… it’s the balance of the two things.”