ABC/Travis BellThe forthcoming new Foo Fighters album Concrete and Gold is stacked with guest appearances: Boyz II Men‘s Shawn Stockman, The Kills‘ Alison Mosshart and even Paul McCartney, who plays drums on the track “Sunday Rain,” all appear on the LP. That’s not even mentioning the super-secret “biggest pop star in the world” that provides back-up vocals on the record.
While that kind of guest coordination sounds like it would require some degree of preparation, guitarist Chris Shiflett says the Foos never had “any master plan to have all the guests on the album.”
“I think it was something that just unfolded as we were working,” he tells Singapore’s Today. “Maybe [frontman] Dave [Grohl] planned it all, but I don’t think he did!”
Even without the guests, the Foos knew that recording Concrete and Gold would be a unique experience when they recruited producer Greg Kurstin, who’s worked with pop singers like Adele and Sia, to produce the album. In fact, Shiflett felt that Grohl wanted to rock the boat and change things up as soon as they started recording.
“At the beginning, Dave told everybody: ‘Don’t bring any of your usual gear, bring a different guitar, a different amp,'” says Shiflett. “So I think he did have it in mind to mix it up and try something different this time.”
Concrete and Gold will be released September 15. Foo Fighters will launch a North American tour in support of the album in October.
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