DAVE GROHL: 'The NIRVANA Experience Was Something Else, In All The Best And Worst Ways'

On the latest episode of the Broken Record Podcast, Dave Grohl reflected on NIRVANA's legacy and the difficult period following Kurt Cobain's death. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET):  "The NIRVANA experience was — I don't even know what the word is for it. It was just something else — in all the best and worst ways. And when you go through something like that with a small group of people, you're forever connected by that. We're a big family, all of the people that were there, and we all do love each other."

The current FOO FIGHTERS frontman continued: "When NIRVANA ended, I kind of knew… Well, at first it was hard for me to get through it. And then I realized that music is the thing that's going to get me through it."

Dave also talked about his special relationship with NIRVANA bassist Krist Novoselic, explaining: "Krist has such a gigantic heart and such an brilliant, amazing mind. And Krist sees the world through an entirely different lens than anyone you've ever met, in the most beautiful way. He's an artist. And he's a writer. And he's the same. The first day I ever met him, he has not changed. And so the experience that we had together in NIRVANA, we'll be connected by that forever. And just as we all continue to move forward in life and live life, it's, like, we're still beautiful, loving friends. And whenever I see him, it's a trip… So, yeah, he's amazing."

In a separate interview with Apple Music's Zane Lowe, Grohl said that that the aftermath of NIRVANA reshaped his entire relationship with music for a while, especially as he wanted to get back making music after the band's tragic end.

"I think that we all wound up in places that felt… I don't want to say comfortable, but safe," Grohl said. "When I went into the studio and recorded that stuff by myself, I felt safe there. And I can't speak for Krist, but I think at that time it was like we were just trying to get our feet back on the ground. For me, that's something that I thought, 'Okay, well, music is the thing that's going to rescue me.'"

Dave went on to say that revisiting NIRVANA's old catalog still proved difficult in the decades after Kurt's passing.

"It's such a weird thing to feel afraid to play songs. And for a long time it's like I was even afraid just to sit down at a drum set and play the opening riff to 'Smells Like Teen Spirit'," he explained. "It just seemed sort of forbidden. And so the few times that Krist and Pat [NIRVANA guitarist Pat Smear] and I have gotten together to do it, it's a trip… The noise that the three of us make together, you don't really get that noise anywhere else. The way that Krist strums his bass lines, the bass that he uses, the equipment he uses, his sense of feel and time, it's like all of those things, combined with Pat, with that crazy GERMS/Pat Smear guitar thing. And then some loud-ass drums, when it happens, you're just, like, 'Oh, fuck, I remember this. Shit, I haven't heard this in 35 years.' It's a really beautiful sound and a beautiful feeling."

Elsewhere in the chat, Grohl talked in more detail about Cobain, who is recognized as a pivotal figure in grunge rock and modern music, known for his relatable lyrics and catchy melodies.

"The songs that he wrote, I think he wrote them to be heard," Dave said. "I think that most songwriters when they write songs, you want them to be heard or you want them to be felt or you want — not necessarily validation, but you want someone to feel what you feel just as a listener wants to feel what the artist feels.

"I don't know what the exact intention was," Dave added, "but I do know that Kurt was one of the greatest songwriters of all time. And it was inevitable that his songs would be recognized as some of the greatest songs of all time."

NIRVANA's breakout hit single "Smells Like Teen Spirit" created a seismic shift in the music universe and a cultural moment in history by heralding the alternative/grunge era of the '90s and becoming one of the most iconic songs and music videos of all time. The Generation X anthem off their sophomore album "Nevermind" turned the underground Seattle based trio of Cobain, Novoselic and Grohl overnight into the biggest band in the world. The song delivered a call to arms for teenage rebellion that was punctuated by the intensity of Cobain's unforgettable performance in the legendary video and its powerful imagery of anarchy and alienation that would later define the grunge revolution. The video depicting a high school pep rally that turns into a mosh pit frenzy quietly debuted September 29, 1991 on MTV's "120 Minutes" and stratospherically propelled the band into superstardom with "Nevermind" turning gold only five weeks after its release.

In 2014, NIRVANA was inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame at a ceremony held at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. NIRVANA was inducted by R.E.M.'s Michael Stipe. Surviving members Grohl and Novoselic, along with Smear, performed four tracks with guest vocalists, including St. Vincent, Lorde, SONIC YOUTH's Kim Gordon and Joan Jett.