10 Questions

Time, December 2009

The Foo Fighters guitarist talks Nirvana, Greatest Hits and chewing gum.

Time 2009

With the release of Foo Fighters Greatest Hits, which would you say is your favourite song?
Peter Etchetts BRISTOL, ENGLAND
The Greatest Hits record is kind, of like a Cliffs Notes version of Foo Fighters catalog. These are the songs most people know. But Foo Fighters have 65 other tracks. Some of those are probably the ones that I love the most, like 'Aurora' off the third album. Every one of these songs lyrically represents something personal to me.

Is Greatest Hits a goodbye or more of a "See you later"?
Jason Wieder WILLOWBROOK. ILL.
Of course, we feel like for us to put out an album titled Greatest Hits would maybe insinuate that we've got nothing left. I look at it as the end of Chapter 1 — the first 15 years. I never thought we would last more than two albums. It wasnt meant to be a band. I would've called it something else if it were meant to be a band. Something other than Foo Fighters. I swear.

Has becoming a father changed the way you write music?
Jennifer Arnold GILBERT, ARIZ
I used to tour nine months out of the year. Now I don't like being away from my kids for more than 12 days. It's changed everything that I do. When you have kids, you see life through different eyes. You feel love more deeply and are maybe a little more compassionate. It's inevitable that that would make its way into your songwriting.

Do you think you would've had the same success you have now if you hadn't been a mem.ber of Nirvana?
Jose Unamuno ORLANDO, FLA.
No. Absolutely not. I always felt fortunate to have been in that band. I've always felt it was incredibly unfortunate how it ended. But I know that if it weren't for that band, I wouldn't be here right now.

Who do you think is the best new band out there now?
Kaitlyn Estona TEMECULA, CALIF
I have a lot of favorite bands. Deerhoof are amazing. You can't go wrong with a name like Deerhoof. I get happy for bands when they get really successful, because I remember what it was like. Like Kings of Leon I'm happy for those guys. When I hear live drums and real guitars and people singing on the radio, it makes me feel that there’s still hope for this world.

How do you manage to scream consistently in your songs and still have one of the beat singing voices around?
Kristin Wolf WEST MANSFIELD, OHIO
I've been destroying my voice for, like, 15 years. My vocal cords probably look like string cheese at this point.

What kind of gum do you chew? You are chewing gum all the time; it must be awesome gum.
Brett Michael Schmitz FOND DU LAC, WIS
I'll chew any kind of gum. I have to when we play live be cause all that screaming will dry out your throat. The last thing you want to do is gag and barf in front of 20,000 people.

What are your musical influences?
Reyes, Ceniceros MONTERREY. MEXICO
My father was a classically trained flutist, and my mother sang. So there was always music in the house. It wasn't until I got the Beatles albums that I really fell in love with rock 'n' roll. I learned how to play drums from listening to Led Zeppelin.

What's your take on music piracy?
Nik Gaudrrau BLOOMSBURG, PA.
I don't have a problem with people downloading music. To me the important thing is that people come to the shows and see the music live and have that personal experience with the band. I've made a decent living making music. I'd feel greedy if I asked for more.

You play many different roles in your various musical endeavors. Which do you enjoy the most?
Rebecca Brock ALPHARETTA, GA.
I love being a drummer. Every. one thinks you're dumb. What they don't realize is that if it weren't for you, their band would suck.

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