Annie Clark, better known by her stage name St. Vincent, recently opened up about her experience working with rock legend Dave Grohl on her newest album “Daddy’s Home.” Grohl contributed drums to two hard-hitting tracks – “Broken Man” and “Flea.” In a new interview, St. Vincent gushed about what it was like jamming with the former Nirvana drummer and Foo Fighters frontman. In this article we discuss “St. Vincent Spills All, What It’s Really Like Collaborating with Dave Grohl!”
“I’m so lucky to have great friends who also are great rippers,” St. Vincent said. “Dave Grohl is a buddy and he came into my studio and, like, everything they say is true: he’s the nicest guy in rock and the most fun hang.”
She went on to describe how laidback and down-to-earth Grohl is, showing up in his truck and hanging out smoking cigarettes while swapping crazy stories from his decades touring the world. But when it came time to record, Grohl snapped right into beast mode.
“He tells war stories, you drink some coffee and smoke more Parliaments, and then he’s like: ‘Cool, let’s go!’ And he goes in there and it’s Dave Freaking Grohl on the drums and he plays it perfectly,” St. Vincent recalled. “Man, it just lights you up to hear him play.”
St. Vincent first crossed paths with Grohl.
St. Vincent first met Grohl years ago and they formed a friendship over their mutual love of shredding guitars. Back in 2014, she even joined the Foo Fighters frontman and the two surviving members of Nirvana for a special reunion performance at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony. So when it came time for St. Vincent to start recording her sixth studio album, Grohl was a natural choice for a collaborator.
The two tracks he plays on couldn’t be more different either. “Broken Man” starts as a slow burn, with St. Vincent’s electronic programming giving way to the complex rhythms of jazz drummer Mark Guiliana before Grohl comes crashing in for the epic climax. He batters the kit recklessly, taking the song right to the edge of chaos.
Compared to the raw power of “Broken Man,” “Flea” is tighter and more traditional rock. But Grohl attacks his drum parts with equal energy, following each twist and dynamic shift that St. Vincent throws at him. It’s a masterclass in musical chemistry between two artists totally locked in.
And St. Vincent admitted hearing Grohl drum in person surpassed even her lofty expectations. “It just lights you up to hear him play,” she said. For an artist praised as one of the most inventive guitarists and imaginative songwriters of her generation, being blown away by Grohl’s legendary chops is no small compliment.
Their collaboration shows Grohl can keep up with anyone, slipping easily from the Foo Fighters’ arena rock anthems into St. Vincent’s artsy avant-garde style. And from the huge grin on his face jamming with her onstage back in 2014, it’s clear Grohl loves the challenge of playing with other innovators.
During their studio hangouts,
Grohl regaled St. Vincent with all kinds of stories from his 30+ years of touring madness. But they also bonded over a shared belief in the transcendent power of rock music.
As St. Vincent put it: “Because he’s so musical, he’s heard the song a few times and knows every twist and turn. So you just hang and smoke some Parliaments; he tells war stories, you drink some coffee and smoke more Parliaments…”
That casual creative chemistry and easygoing friendship is what allows their collaboration to feel so smooth and organic. St. Vincent may have a radically different sound than Grohl’s usual arena-packing rock. But they both speak the common language of loud guitars, pounding drums, and boundless artistic ambition.
After hearing Grohl’s explosive contributions, St. Vincent perfectly summed up the thrill of collaborating with one of rock’s greatest living legends: “It just lights you up to hear him play.” I sincerely hope you like reading this “St. Vincent Spills All, What It’s Really Like Collaborating with Dave Grohl!” article.
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