After providing the music world with some of the most uplifting headlines of the year, Dave Grohl and 10-year-old Nandi Bushell have made plans to record a song together. What’s more, the Foo Fighters frontman has invited the music prodigy to jam with the band once they are able to tour in her home country of England.
As we’ve chronicled over the past few months, YouTube sensation Nandi challenged Grohl to a drum battle by playing the Foo Fighters classic “Everlong”. The rock icon accepted her challenge by performing “Dead End Friends” from his supergroup Them Crooked Vultures, and Nandi responded within a week with a beat-for-beat version of the same song. From there, the friendly competition went to a new level, with Grohl writing and performing an original theme song about Nandi, and the youngster doing the same for the rock star. On the latter track, dubbed “Rock and Grohl”, Nandi performed drums, guitar, and bass, as well as sang.
The pair were recently brought together via video chat for a new feature on The New York Times, speaking directly with each other for the first time. Prior to Bushell joining the conversation, Grohl revealed that the youngster first caught his attention with her 2019 drum performance of Nirvana’s “In Bloom”, which had been forwarded to him by Nevermind producer Butch Vig.
“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 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.”
When Bushell joined the video chat, Grohl exclaimed, “I feel like I’m meeting a Beatle!” At one point, the pair agreed to write a song together, but Bushell insisted that it had to be a “fast-tempo” track. It was then that Grohl invited Nandi to perform with Foo Fighters when they ultimately return to England, with the following caveat: “It has to be at the end of the set because you’re going to steal the show.”
If that’s not enough, it seems like the pair’s musical battle is not over yet. “I had an idea for how to respond to your last song, but I haven’t done it yet,” revealed Grohl. “It’s a big project. I don’t want to give it away, but it’s a good one.” Bushell responded, “I’m looking forward to it.”
Editors’ Picks
While we wait for the next round of Grohl’s feel-good battle with Nandi, Foo Fighters have graced us with a brand-new song, “Shame Shame”. The track is the first single from the band’s newly announced forthcoming album, Medicine at Midnight, which arrives on February 4th. Grohl and company performed the tune on Saturday Night Live over the weekend.
See the moment Dave Grohl and Nandi Bushell met via video chat, and relive their musical battle with the theme songs they wrote for each other below.
BEST DAY EVER!!! Meeting #davegrohl was one of the most incredible experiences of my life! I can’t believe Dave asked me to write a song with him, join him and the @foofighters on stage AND he is still working on his comeback!!! #EPIC!!! @nytimesmusic pic.twitter.com/szlKXn6U6D
— Nandi Bushell (@Nandi_Bushell) November 9, 2020
Ok @Nandi_Bushell….Round 2! Every superhero needs a theme song. Here’s one for you! Mad props to The Grohlettes for the background vocals. pic.twitter.com/js9xBasbpw
— Foo Fighters (@foofighters) September 14, 2020
