Foo Fighters' Pat Smear Had Never Heard Adele Before Working with Producer Greg Kurstin

BY Sarah MurphyPublished Aug 17, 2017

Foo Fighters teamed up with pop super-producer Greg Kurstin for their upcoming Concrete and Gold LP, but it turns out not everyone in the band was familiar with the studio guru's greatest hits.
 
Kurstin has guided artists like Tegan and Sara and Beck into poppier territory on recent albums, and created chart smashes for the likes of Kelly Clarkson, Kesha, Sia, Pink, Taylor Swift and Adele. In a recent interview with ET Canada, though, frontman Dave Grohl revealed that guitarist Pat Smear had never heard Adele's ubiquitous Grammy-winning hit "Hello."
 
When Grohl pitched the idea of working with Kurstin, Smear (who also played in Nirvana and the Germs) asked, "Well, what has he done?"
 
The frontman explained, "Well, he did that Adele stuff" — which didn't prove much help, since Smear responded, "What does she sound like?"
 
Grohl introduced the guitarist to "Hello," and he reacted by saying, "Wow, that's really cool. But how the fuck does this apply to what we do?"
 
When the interviewer expressed his disbelief that anyone on the planet hadn't heard the song, Smear simply chuckled and said, "Where am I going to hear that?"
 
Literally everywhere, dude.
 
Nevertheless, Grohl assured fans that the Foos' forthcoming full-length is still a loud rock record — though his lips are still sealed as to the identity of the "biggest pop star in the world" who makes a cameo on the album. So far, all he's confirmed is that it isn't Adele or Swift.
 
Paul McCartney, however, reteamed with Grohl, Smear and the gang to play drums on a Concrete and Gold cut.
 
The Foo Fighters' new album officially arrives on September 15 via Roswell Records/RCA.
 
Watch the ET Canada interview clip below.
 

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