Foo Fighters frontman Dave Grohl recently opened up about his complex and enduring bond with his former Nirvana bandmates, reflecting on the intense highs and devastating lows of their time together.
During a new appearance on the “Broken Record Podcast,” the legendary drummer discussed the band’s massive legacy and the profound impact of Kurt Cobain‘s tragic death.
“The Nirvana experience was — I don’t even know what the word is for it. It was just something else — in all the best and worst ways. And when you go through something like that with a small group of people, you’re forever connected by that. We’re a big family, all of the people that were there, and we all do love each other,” Dave explained.
Discussing the immediate aftermath of the band’s dissolution, he noted how creating new art became his primary coping mechanism.
“When Nirvana ended, I kind of knew… Well, at first it was hard for me to get through it. And then I realized that music is the thing that’s going to get me through it.”
He also took time to praise bassist Krist Novoselic, highlighting his unique perspective and unwavering character.
“Krist has such a gigantic heart and such a brilliant, amazing mind. And Krist sees the world through an entirely different lens than anyone you’ve ever met, in the most beautiful way. He’s an artist. And he’s a writer. And he’s the same. The first day I ever met him, he has not changed. And so the experience that we had together in Nirvana, we’ll be connected by that forever. And just as we all continue to move forward in life and live life, it’s, like, we’re still beautiful, loving friends. And whenever I see him, it’s a trip… So, yeah, he’s amazing.”
These sentiments echo a previous conversation Dave Grohl had with Apple Music‘s Zane Lowe, where he explained how the sudden loss of Kurt Cobain temporarily fractured his relationship with his own craft, eventually pushing him toward a solitary creative process.
“I think that we all wound up in places that felt… I don’t want to say comfortable, but safe,” Dave said. “When I went into the studio and recorded that stuff by myself, I felt safe there. And I can’t speak for Krist, but I think at that time it was like we were just trying to get our feet back on the ground. For me, that’s something that I thought, ‘Okay, well, music is the thing that’s going to rescue me.'”
For years, revisiting the band’s catalog felt overwhelmingly difficult, carrying a heavy emotional weight.
“It’s such a weird thing to feel afraid to play songs. And for a long time it’s like I was even afraid just to sit down at a drum set and play the opening riff to ‘Smells Like Teen Spirit‘,” he explained. “It just seemed sort of forbidden. And so the few times that Krist and Pat [Smear] and I have gotten together to do it, it’s a trip… The noise that the three of us make together, you don’t really get that noise anywhere else. The way that Krist strums his bass lines, the bass that he uses, the equipment he uses, his sense of feel and time, it’s like all of those things, combined with Pat, with that crazy Germs/Pat Smear guitar thing. And then some loud-a** drums, when it happens, you’re just, like, ‘Oh, f**k, I remember this. S**t, I haven’t heard this in 35 years.’ It’s a really beautiful sound and a beautiful feeling.”
During that same chat, he praised Kurt Cobain‘s unparalleled ability to craft melodies that connected with a massive, disaffected generation.
“The songs that he wrote, I think he wrote them to be heard. I think that most songwriters when they write songs, you want them to be heard or you want them to be felt or you want — not necessarily validation, but you want someone to feel what you feel just as a listener wants to feel what the artist feels,” Dave said.
“I don’t know what the exact intention was. but I do know that Kurt was one of the greatest songwriters of all time. And it was inevitable that his songs would be recognized as some of the greatest songs of all time.”
Nirvana‘s sophomore album, Nevermind, and its lead single “Smells Like Teen Spirit” fundamentally shifted the landscape of modern rock in the early 1990s. The Seattle trio was officially inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in 2014 by R.E.M. frontman Michael Stipe. During the ceremony, surviving members Dave Grohl, Krist Novoselic, and Pat Smear performed classic tracks alongside guest vocalists St. Vincent, Lorde, Kim Gordon of Sonic Youth, and Joan Jett.
