On the latest Mohr Stories podcast, host Jay Mohr discussed bands that have made experimental records that have reinvented their sound, and he asked Foo Fighters guitarist Chris Shiflett if he believes the Foos have a record like that in their discography.
“We haven’t made the crazy psychedelic record like that yet, little dabbles here and there, but someday.”
He also discussed Beatles drummer Ringo Starr photographing the band in 2014 for Sonic Highways.
“That might have been the craziest thing we’ve ever done, Ringo Starr did our photoshoot.”
“While he was there, he could not have been any friendlier or any more open, and not in an obnoxious way at all. He just casually told crazy Beatles stories.”
Mohr brought up a part in Foo Fighters’ 2011 Back & Forth documentary where Dave Grohl awkwardly shot down one of Chris’ guitar ideas in the studio. Shiflett then discussed his dynamic with Grohl in the studio (transcribed by Alternative Nation).
“I’ve always approached it like it’s Dave’s band. Not only is it Dave’s band, but he’s the creative driving force behind it, he writes the songs. You have to respect that, and defer to what his vision is for the song, but of course when we make a record, I work out some parts, depending on what it is. You want to go in there and feel strong and good about what you’re playing, and sometimes you fight for your part, and sometimes you let it go, you’ve really got to gauge the room.
At this point, I’ve been in the band long enough that I can sense if Dave or Butch [Vig] or whoever is producing is open to the direction that maybe I want my guitar part to go in, if they’re not, you’ve just got to respect that it ain’t going to happen. There’s definitely been some times that I disagreed with something I played on over the years.”
Shiflett added, “Of course there’s been moments of drama and tension, and all of that stuff.”
He also said that at live shows he feels more freedom, “Well live, there’s nobody there telling you not to do it the way you wanted to do it in the first place, so you just let it rip baby!”
