Dave Grohl spoke with UK’s The Independent in an interview published Tuesday about his new comedy-horror film, Studio 666, which was released theatrically last week. And among the revelations in the piece — including that Grohl once swam in the pool of the Manson Family killings (before it was turned into an $85 million estate by Full House creator Jeff Franklin) — the 53-year-old shared his admiration for singer-songwriter Billie Eilish.
In the film, one scene features Jeff Garlin, who plays the band’s manager, lamenting the current state of music. “Rock’n’roll, it hasn’t been relevant for a long time,” says Garlin’s character. When asked if he agreed with that sentiment, Grohl responded that “you have to define relevant.”
“It’s hard for us to say that rock’n’roll is in a rough patch,” he offered. “Because we get up on stage and there’ll be thousands of people f-ing going bananas and singing along to our songs.”
And unlike some aging rockers, who tend to exhibit a “get off my lawn” type of energy for younger or up and coming acts, Grohl has nothing but respect for the new generation — particularly 20-year-old Billie Eilish.
Further down the food chain, however, he’s aware that guitar bands might not have the cultural caché they once did. “I can understand how it’s a different game nowadays for younger bands,” he offers. “There’s a lot of great young bands that are fing killing it and have devoted fan bases. They might not be as popular as Nicki Minaj, but honestly, when I see f***ing Billie Eilish, that’s rock’n’roll to me. She started a revolution and took over the world.”
Grohl also heaped praise on Isle of Wight duo Wet Leg, whose debut single “Chaise Longue” became a viral hit in 2021.
“Wet Leg are about to take over America,” he grins, before rhapsodising over last summer’s phenomenally catchy “Chaise Longue”. “I really do dig them. A friend of mine turned me on to them about six or seven months ago and I couldn’t get the song out of my head.” If you get invited to party with Dave this year, expect the track to feature regularly on the playlist. “Sometimes we’ll hang out at a friend’s house and just dance until four o’clock in the morning, and we’ll play ‘Chaise Longue’ on repeat, like over and over and over and over and over again,” he reveals.
But this wasn’t the first time Grohl has gushed about Eilish. In 2019, the Foo Fighters frontman compared the young singer to his former band Nirvana, to which Eilish responded: “I can’t even believe that. Are you kidding? He said rock isn’t dead because of me. Dude, I grew up on that shit. Huh? Rock? Like, I can’t.”
“Dave is such a sweetheart and his daughters, I love them,” she added. “And he’s so good, of course, they’re good, ‘cos he’s, fucking, their dad.”
On top of being a great dad and supportive mentor, Grohl’s willingness and eagerness to pass the baton is just one reason why he remains one of the most respected musicians in the industry, now over 35 years into his career.
