Dave Grohl Says Sound City Helped Nirvana Craft a 'Raw' Record

Dave Grohl Says Sound City Helped Nirvana Craft a ‘Raw’ Record

2013-02-03

Story by Cat Badra

Foo Fighters frontman and former Nirvana drummer says Sound City Studios helped shape Nirvana’s ‘Nevermind’ release

Dave Grohl thinks the legendary Sound City Studios are the main reason a generation was able to rock out to tracks like “Smells Like Teen Spirit.” The former Nirvana drummer and current Foo Fighters frontman says he wanted to put together a documentary on Sound City — where he and Nirvana recorded their seminal 1991 release, “Nevermind” — because it helped make Nirvana a household name.

“There’s a story behind every single classic album that was put together behind those doors, and if it wasn’t for the people who kept those rooms alive, maybe half of us wouldn’t have gone there,” Grohl explained to the BBC News. “Nowhere else would have allowed Nirvana to make a record which sounded as raw as it did. And without that sound, I don’t think I’d be here today.”

Grohl added that he hopes future generations find inspiration in the fact so many musicians have been able to craft a career coming from almost nothing. “You can just go into an old guitar shop, buy the biggest piece of junk and then write a beautiful song and become the biggest band in the world,” he said. “These things can happen.”

“Sound City” is set to play in a handful of select movie theaters across North America this Thursday, and the flick officially arrive on video-on-demand the next day. The movie’s soundtrack, “Sound City — Real to Reel,” is set for a March 12 release.

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Cat Badra

Meet the expert - Cat Badra is a music writer for Audio Ink Radio and a range of other music, sports and lifestyle publications. She's a graduate of Michigan State University with a master's degree in theater and speech. Contact her at cat@audioinkradio.com.