Dave Grohl: Music shouldn't sound like it did when I was 14

(Image credit: Mauricio Santana - Getty)

Dave Grohl says that music has to evolve and shouldn’t sound the same as it did when he was 14 years old.

The Foo Fighters vocalist and guitarist was asked by GQ magazine what he thought the future of punk will be, to which he replies: “It depends how you define punk rock. 

“You know who Lil Pump is? No, that was Lil Peep. Lil Pump is from the same genre, that slow-cooked emo hip hop thing. He has a song called Gucci Gang. It’s hilarious. The video has tigers and bags of weed and blue Lamborghinis in it. 

“Yet for my eldest daughter, Lil Pump is punk rock. In 2018, music doesn’t – and shouldn’t – sound like it did when I was 14. 

“I guess for me punk rock is about a state of independence and if that’s Lil Pump then so be it. It’s about being free to do whatever the hell you want to do.”

In the same interview, Grohl gives his take on the state of American politics and, in particular, US President Donald Trump.

He says: “I’ve probably travelled internationally more than our current president and the one thing I understand that he doesn’t is that the world isn’t as big as you think it is. 

“It is all in your neighbourhood. India, Asia, Iceland aren’t other solar systems. I am ashamed of our president. I feel apologetic for it when I travel.”

Foo Fighters are gearing for further live shows this summer, which will kick off in Gothenburg on June 5.

Foo Fighters 2018 tour dates

Jun 05: Gothenburg Ullevi Arena, Sweden
Jun 10: Hamburg Trabrennbahn Bahrenfeld, Germany
Jun 13: Bern Stade De Suisse, Switzerland
Jun 14: Florence Firenze Rocks, Italy
Jul 06: Columbia Merriweather Post Pavilion, MD
Jul 07: Camden BB&T Pavilion, NJ
Jul 12: Toronto Rogers Centre, ON
Jul 14: Wantagh Northwell Health & Jones Beach, NY
Jul 16: New York Madison Square Garden, NY
Jul 17: New York Madison Square Garden, NY
Jul 19: Pittsburgh PPG Paints Arena, PA
Jul 21: Boston Fenway Park, MA
Jul 22: Boston Fenway Park, MA
Jul 25: Cuyahoga Falls Blossom Music Center, OH
Jul 26: Noblesville Ruoff Home Mortgage Music Center, IN
Jul 29: Chicago Wrigley Field, IL
Jul 30: Chicago Wrigley Field, IL
Sep 01: Seattle Safeco Field, WA
Sep 04: Edmonton Rogers Place, AB
Sep 06: Calgary Scotiabank Saddledome, AB
Sep 08: Vancouver Rogers Arena, BC
Sep 10: Portland Moda Centre At The Rose Quarter, OR
Sep 12: San Jose SAP Center, CA
Oct 08: Phoenix Talking Stick Resort Arena, AZ
Oct 10: Denver Pepsi Center, CO
Oct 13: St Louis Scottrade Center, MO
Oct 15: Detroit Little Caesars Arena, MI
Oct 17: Milwaukee Wisconsin Entertainment & Sports Centre, WI
Oct 18: St Paul Xcel Energy Center, MN

Scott Munro
Louder e-commerce editor

Scott has spent more than 30 years in newspapers, magazines and online as an editor, production editor, sub-editor, designer, writer and reviewer. Scott joined our news desk in the summer of 2014 before moving to the e-commerce team in 2020. Scott maintains Louder’s buyer’s guides, scouts out the best deals for music fans and reviews headphones, speakers, books and more. He's written more than 11,000 articles across Louder, Classic Rock, Metal Hammer and Prog and has previous written for publications including IGN, the Sunday Mirror, Daily Record and The Herald, covering everything from daily news and weekly features, to video games, travel and whisky. Scott's favourite bands are Fields Of The Nephilim, The Cure, New Model Army, All About Eve, The Mission, Cocteau Twins, Drab Majesty, Marillion and Rush.