Foo Fighters Explain Decision to Release ‘Medicine at Midnight’ During Pandemic
Foo Fighters recently announced a February release for their tenth album Medicine at Midnight though revealing early in 2020 that they had completed the effort. So why the delay? Like many acts, it had to do with the ongoing pandemic.
Speaking with New York's Q104.3 (as heard below), frontman Dave Grohl offered some insight on the thought process concerning the release. "We started writing this record almost two years ago — a year and a half ago. We were writing it while we were still on tour. We moved into this funky old house in my neighborhood; built a studio in the upstairs bedroom; recorded the drums in the living room; the guitars were in the bedroom. I did the vocals in the bathroom next to the toilet. We started [recording] this, I think, in maybe September last year, and we were finished by January, February. We were totally done — mixed, mastered, ready to go. Artwork was done; t-shirts were being made; equipment was on the trucks — we were good to go. And then everything just kind of shut down," recalled the singer.
He continued, "Then it was months and months of trying to decide when we would release it. 'Okay, do we just put it out now?' 'No, let's wait. Maybe we'll see what happens.' A month later, 'Do we put it out now?' 'No, let's wait.'"
But Grohl began to question the wait. He adds, "Six or seven months went by, and I'm, like, we make this music for people to hear. We don't just make it so that we can go hit the road. We write these songs so people can enjoy them and sing along, whether it's in their kitchen by themselves with a bottle of Crown Royal or in a stadium bouncing around, singing the choruses."
He concludes, "I was, like, right now, more than ever, people need something to lift their spirits, something to give them some feeling of relief or escape. I was, like, 'We've gotta put it out. Let's put it out right now.' I don't know when we're gonna hit the road, but we need to give the music to the people, 'cause that's why we make it."
Foo Fighters' Medicine at Midnight is due Feb. 5 and pre-orders are currently available here (As Amazon affiliates, we earn on qualifying purchases).
Foo Fighters' Dave Grohl Talks to New York's Q104.3
In other Foo Fighters news, Dave Grohl has been busy both with the band and continuing his Hanukkah covers series of Jewish artists with producer Greg Kurstin.
During the Foo Fighters' recent Holiday Plays session for Amazon Music, the group rocked out a revved up Christmas cover of "Run Rudolph Run" that can be heard below. Meanwhile, Grohl and Kurstin have continued serving up cool covers for Hanukkah with the latest being a take on Elastica's '90s hit "Connection." Watch that below as well.
Foo Fighters, "Run Rudolph Run" (Amazon Original)
Dave Grohl + Greg Kurstin, "Connection" (Elastica Cover)