In 1994, Nirvana came to a tragic end when lead singer Kurt Cobain was found dead on April 8. Up to that point, Nirvana had dominated the early 1990s, redefining pop culture. The band was arguably the biggest band in the world following the release of Nevermind in late 1991. Throughout 1992 and into 1994, the band garnered heavy media attention. Cobain’s drug addiction mixed with pressure within the music industry created internal conflicts within the group. One month prior, the frontman suffered a near-fatal overdose in Rome, Italy. Following this, the members held an intervention and placed Cobain in rehab. Cobain would later leave the facility to head back to Washington, where he took his own life on April 5.
To escape the grief and media attention following this tragedy, Dave Grohl left the US. He escaped to a remote part of Ireland where he felt no one would ever recognize him or his band. While driving down a rural road in Ireland, Grohl came across a hitchhiker. As his car drew closer, he realized the guy was wearing a shirt with Kurt Cobain’s face on it. Grohl was stunned, feeling he couldn’t escape this tragedy no matter how far away he was. He took this as a sign to return to Seattle and resume his music career.
Grohl Returns To Record
Grohl’s first public appearance came in June 1994, when he performed with The Backbeat Band at the 1994 MTV Movie Awards. Dave Grohl then received offers to join bands such as Danzig and Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. In a 2005 interview with Guitar World, Grohl said, “I just couldn’t imagine playing in other bands because it would just remind me of being in Nirvana; every time I sat down at a drum set, I would think of that.” He did, however, join Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers to perform on an episode of Saturday Night Live in November 1994.
In October 1994, Dave Grohl booked one week of studio time at Robert Lang Studios in Seattle, Washington, with co-producer Barrett Jones. During this week, Grohl recorded an entire record by himself, playing all the instruments. Inspired by The Police’s drummer, Stuart Copeland, he decided to name the album after a band’s name, rather than releasing a solo record. This was a brilliant move, as it let him turn the album into a full-fledged rock band.
Launching Foo Fighters
On June 26, 1995, Grohl released the album as Foo Fighters. One week prior, the first Foo Fighters single, “This Is A Call”, was released. In September, a third single, “I’ll Stick Around,” was released a mere four years after “Smells Like Teen Spirit” was released. In 1991, the track became the breakout single for not only the band but the grunge genre in general. It’s been rumored for decades that “I’ll Stick Around” is about Kurt Cobain’s widow, Courtney Love.
Two more singles were released, “For All The Cows” and “Big Me”, which later went on to win Best Group Video at the 1996 MTV Video Music Awards. The album went to No. 23 on the Billboard 200 and No. 3 on the UK Albums Chart.
To perform the tracks, Grohl sought out a band. He recruited former Nirvana rhythm guitarist and punk rock legend Pat Smear. Additionally, he recruited drummer William Goldsmith and Nate Wendel, formerly of the emo band Sunny Day Real Estate. With this group, he began to record a follow-up album for Foo Fighters. Though Goldsmith’s time in the group didn’t last long, Wendel has remained with the band for over 30 years.
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