Dave Grohl wants to collaborate with music prodigy Nandi Bushell: ‘We should make a song together’

Foo Fighters frontman has been locked in a rivalry with the drumming prodigy for months

Dave Grohl agreed to write a song with his 10-year-old music “rival” Nandi Bushell, during their first-ever real-time conversation.

The Foo Fighters frontman has been duelling with Bushell, a young music prodigy, via a series of back and forth challenges issued to each other.

In a video call organised by the New York Times, the pair spoke directly for the first time, in an interview where Grohl joked he felt like he was “meeting a Beatle”.

During the conversation, Grohl met Bushell’s parents and shared stories with her about his childhood drumming experiences.

He then asked if she’d be interested in a collaboration: “We should make a song together. Do you want to do that?”

“Yes! Yeah, definitely,” Bushell responded.

“Well, I’m not playing drums, I’ll tell you that,” Grohl said.

Watch the full conversation here.

Grohl also invited Bushell to come and perform with the Foo Fighters onstage when the band are able to tour in the UK again.

“It can’t be at the beginning of the set. Because if you come out first, it’s just all downhill from there.”

Grohl was made aware of Bushell after she recorded a cover of “In Bloom” from Nirvana’s 1991 album Nevermind.

The video was spotted by the album’s producer, Butch Vig, and sent to Grohl.

“I watched it in amazement, not only because she was nailing all of the parts, but the way that she would scream when she did her drum rolls,” Grohl told the New York Times.

“There’s something about seeing the joy and energy of a kid in love with an instrument. She just seemed like a force of nature.”

Grohl appeared on Absolute Radio this week to discuss the new Foo Fighters record, Medicine at Midnight. 

“I sort of figured it was time to let this thing out of its cage and bring a little music to the people,” he said, explaining how the band finished the record a year ago. 

“I mean we started writing this music almost two years ago, while we were still on the road, knowing that this year was gonna be our 25th anniversary, and it was gonna be our 10th record,” he added. 

“We were gonna make 2020 like, the year of the Foo Fighters. It was just gonna be touring, and videos, and documentaries and all these sort of celebratory anniversary things. Then in March everything just stopped.”

Medicine at Midnight is scheduled for release in February 2021.