JerseyGirl
Senior Member
Foo Fighters Drop Surprise Free EP 'Saint Cecilia'
Dave Grohl and company unleash five songs recorded in Austin, Texas and pen lengthy letter to fans
The mysterious countdown clock on the Foo Fighters' official website finally ticked down to all zeroes Sunday night, and it was revealed that Dave Grohl's surprise for fans was a new EP titled Saint Cecilia. The five-track collection, recorded at Austin, Texas' Saint Cecilia Hotel during the Austin City Limits festival's two weekends, was offered up as a free download. A pre-order of the Saint Cecilia EP is also available at the Foo Fighters' site.
In addition to the new EP, Grohl also penned a long letter to fans that tracked the Sonic Highways journey, detailed his gruesome leg injury and paid tribute to those killed in the Paris terror attacks. The EP was meant to be an end-of-the-tour thank you gift to fans, but the final leg of the Sonic Highways jaunt was cut short by the November 13th attack in Paris. Foo Fighters also posted a link for fans to donate to victims of the attack.
"Let me begin with a preface to a letter I wrote a few weeks ago from my hotel room in Berlin while on our final tour for this album. I felt the need to write this foreword in light of the heartbreaking tragedies of Nov. 13th, as this project has now taken on an entirely different tone. As has everything, it seems...," Grohl wrote. "The Saint Cecilia EP was put into motion back in October of this year as a celebration of life and music. The concept being that, as our world tour drew to a close this week, we wanted to share our love of both with you in return for everything you have given us."
During the Foo Fighters' ACL headlining set, Grohl announced that the band had recorded new music in Austin, and in the letter, he goes in depth about the project and how the band turned the Saint Cecilia Hotel into their own personal recording studio. "Returning to the city where the entire Sonic Highways concept was born, loading in one last time to a room that was never designed to be a recording studio a la Sonic Highways, and making some music! Fate? Destiny?," Grohl wrote.
Throughout the letter, Grohl also hinted that the Foo Fighters might be going on a well-deserved break, and possibly a long hiatus. "It was heartbreaking to leave that place, to say the least. I honestly feel like we left a piece of our band there as we were being torn away from it," Grohl wrote. "The perfect unity of life, and love, and music is something that only comes around so often and in certain circumstances. When you feel it coming on, you have to take hold of it. That place and those people made it possible for our band to take one, big final breath before the curtain closes. Thankfully, we have evidence of this in these songs that we’re giving to you today. "
He added, "Maybe these songs are the bread crumbs that will help us find our way back when it’s time. We could use a nice wander through the woods right about now. Another empty journal, another tap on the shoulder ... those things are never far behind. It’s what lies ahead in those woods that excites me now.... So tonight, as I sit in my Berlin hotel room on our final tour for this album, counting down the days until we return home, I can’t help but wonder when we will see each other again. Who knows? But, with everything Foo Fighter-related, it will only be when it feels right. And that’s a feeling that’s easy to feel."
Check out the EP's track list and Grohl's full letter to fans below:
Saint Cecilia EP Track List
1. "Saint Cecilia"
2. "Sean"
3. "Savior Breath"
4. "Iron Rooster"
5. "The Neverending Sigh"
9 November 2015
Tonight, Let me begin with a preface to a letter I wrote a few weeks ago from my hotel room in Berlin while on our final tour for this album. I felt the need to write this foreword in light of the heartbreaking tragedies of Nov. 13th, as this project has now taken on an entirely different tone. As has everything, it seems...
The Saint Cecilia EP was put into motion back in October of this year as a celebration of life and music. The concept being that, as our world tour drew to a close this week, we wanted to share our love of both with you in return for everything you have given us.
Now, there is a new, hopeful intention that, even in the smallest way, perhaps these songs can bring a little light into this sometimes dark world. To remind us that music is life, and that hope and healing go hand in hand with song. That much can never be taken away.
To all who were affected by the atrocities in Paris, loved ones and friends, our hearts go out to you and your families. We will return and celebrate life and love with you once again someday with our music. As it should be done.
Dave Grohl
8 November 2015
Hey.
Thanks.
For real.
It was in Austin, Texas March 14th, 2013, at the last show of the “Sound City Players” when I was given a small, but very relevant and perhaps prophetic gift from my Sound City movie producers Jim Rota and John Ramsay. An empty journal, with a note that said something along the lines of, “Congratulations on everything Sound City.....now get to work on the next project!” It was the most beautiful way to end something that I wanted so badly to last forever: with a new beginning.
The basic concept of the Sonic Highways album and series was born right then and there, in a small backstage room surrounded by mountains of Lone Star beer and Stubbs BBQ. 8 songs, 8 cities, 8 studios, and a musical road trip of a lifetime. Removing the Foo Fighters from our comfort zone and challenging the process from top to bottom, it breathed new life into the band, and set us on a journey that unquestionably exceeded any of our simple expectations. And now it has led us here. To another beautiful ending.
Dave Grohl; Foo Fighters
So, where do I begin?
We owe it all to Mexico City.
Unbeknownst to them, the people who attended those two concerts back in December, 2013 at Foro Sol stadium helped fund the filming and recording of the bulk of the Sonic Highways project. They were the fuse that lit this little firecracker, baby. Without those gigs, many may have never heard the incredible and truly inspiring life stories of Buddy Guy, Steve Albini, Ian Mackaye, Tony Joe White, Zac Brown, Dolly Parton, Roky Erickson, Gary Clark Jr, Bruce Pavitt, Fred Drake, Terry Lickona, Joan Jett, Steve Rosenthal, Nora Guthrie......a list too long to share here. But, beyond giving our band the equivalent of a rock and roll university year abroad, they gave the entire world the most priceless gift: Inspiration. So....Gracias a todos, Mexico....we couldn’t have done it without you.
Before long, our rag tag crew of ne’er-do-wells was stumbling from city to city, coast to coast, taking in every drop (!) of 100 proof American culture we could squeeze. Dancing in a New Orleans second line parade, laying under the desert stars in Joshua Tree, walking the streets of Chicago in -30 degree weather...it was an American dream come true. Our only responsibility was to share it with you, and the brave people of HBO trusted us with that much. (very freely, I might add.) Blind faith? Perhaps. But, without Nina Rosenstein, we would not be the people who we are today. Looking back, she gave us something immeasurably generous: some of the greatest memories of our lives. These people and places that we experienced have filled our hearts...and ultimately our songs. So, thank you, Nina. We are yours. But, focused on the moment, we never in our wildest dreams could have imagined the whirlwind 23 months that lay ahead of us. We just put one foot in front of the other, and kept moving....
I must admit, I never looked at our schedule. I was too scared. I knew that this was it. This was the big one. There was talk of stadiums, and anniversaries, and TV shows. South Africa, Korea, Colombia. Letterman and Glastonbury. It all seemed too good to be true! But, as always, we kept our heads down and tried to appreciate every single moment as it fled. Because, you realize, none of this was ever supposed to happen. Ever. As we approached our twentieth anniversary, it was hard not to look back on all of those years and smile while shaking our heads in wonder and disbelief. From the Mike Watt van tour of 1995, to RFK stadium in Washington DC (my hometown gig) July 4th, 2015...those dots don’t necessarily connect in real life, you know? It still boggles the mind. But, the spoils of these blessings are not lost upon us. We count every last one.
Even the disasters.
Continued...
Dave Grohl and company unleash five songs recorded in Austin, Texas and pen lengthy letter to fans
The mysterious countdown clock on the Foo Fighters' official website finally ticked down to all zeroes Sunday night, and it was revealed that Dave Grohl's surprise for fans was a new EP titled Saint Cecilia. The five-track collection, recorded at Austin, Texas' Saint Cecilia Hotel during the Austin City Limits festival's two weekends, was offered up as a free download. A pre-order of the Saint Cecilia EP is also available at the Foo Fighters' site.
In addition to the new EP, Grohl also penned a long letter to fans that tracked the Sonic Highways journey, detailed his gruesome leg injury and paid tribute to those killed in the Paris terror attacks. The EP was meant to be an end-of-the-tour thank you gift to fans, but the final leg of the Sonic Highways jaunt was cut short by the November 13th attack in Paris. Foo Fighters also posted a link for fans to donate to victims of the attack.
"Let me begin with a preface to a letter I wrote a few weeks ago from my hotel room in Berlin while on our final tour for this album. I felt the need to write this foreword in light of the heartbreaking tragedies of Nov. 13th, as this project has now taken on an entirely different tone. As has everything, it seems...," Grohl wrote. "The Saint Cecilia EP was put into motion back in October of this year as a celebration of life and music. The concept being that, as our world tour drew to a close this week, we wanted to share our love of both with you in return for everything you have given us."
During the Foo Fighters' ACL headlining set, Grohl announced that the band had recorded new music in Austin, and in the letter, he goes in depth about the project and how the band turned the Saint Cecilia Hotel into their own personal recording studio. "Returning to the city where the entire Sonic Highways concept was born, loading in one last time to a room that was never designed to be a recording studio a la Sonic Highways, and making some music! Fate? Destiny?," Grohl wrote.
Throughout the letter, Grohl also hinted that the Foo Fighters might be going on a well-deserved break, and possibly a long hiatus. "It was heartbreaking to leave that place, to say the least. I honestly feel like we left a piece of our band there as we were being torn away from it," Grohl wrote. "The perfect unity of life, and love, and music is something that only comes around so often and in certain circumstances. When you feel it coming on, you have to take hold of it. That place and those people made it possible for our band to take one, big final breath before the curtain closes. Thankfully, we have evidence of this in these songs that we’re giving to you today. "
He added, "Maybe these songs are the bread crumbs that will help us find our way back when it’s time. We could use a nice wander through the woods right about now. Another empty journal, another tap on the shoulder ... those things are never far behind. It’s what lies ahead in those woods that excites me now.... So tonight, as I sit in my Berlin hotel room on our final tour for this album, counting down the days until we return home, I can’t help but wonder when we will see each other again. Who knows? But, with everything Foo Fighter-related, it will only be when it feels right. And that’s a feeling that’s easy to feel."
Check out the EP's track list and Grohl's full letter to fans below:
Saint Cecilia EP Track List
1. "Saint Cecilia"
2. "Sean"
3. "Savior Breath"
4. "Iron Rooster"
5. "The Neverending Sigh"
9 November 2015
Tonight, Let me begin with a preface to a letter I wrote a few weeks ago from my hotel room in Berlin while on our final tour for this album. I felt the need to write this foreword in light of the heartbreaking tragedies of Nov. 13th, as this project has now taken on an entirely different tone. As has everything, it seems...
The Saint Cecilia EP was put into motion back in October of this year as a celebration of life and music. The concept being that, as our world tour drew to a close this week, we wanted to share our love of both with you in return for everything you have given us.
Now, there is a new, hopeful intention that, even in the smallest way, perhaps these songs can bring a little light into this sometimes dark world. To remind us that music is life, and that hope and healing go hand in hand with song. That much can never be taken away.
To all who were affected by the atrocities in Paris, loved ones and friends, our hearts go out to you and your families. We will return and celebrate life and love with you once again someday with our music. As it should be done.
Dave Grohl
8 November 2015
Hey.
Thanks.
For real.
It was in Austin, Texas March 14th, 2013, at the last show of the “Sound City Players” when I was given a small, but very relevant and perhaps prophetic gift from my Sound City movie producers Jim Rota and John Ramsay. An empty journal, with a note that said something along the lines of, “Congratulations on everything Sound City.....now get to work on the next project!” It was the most beautiful way to end something that I wanted so badly to last forever: with a new beginning.
The basic concept of the Sonic Highways album and series was born right then and there, in a small backstage room surrounded by mountains of Lone Star beer and Stubbs BBQ. 8 songs, 8 cities, 8 studios, and a musical road trip of a lifetime. Removing the Foo Fighters from our comfort zone and challenging the process from top to bottom, it breathed new life into the band, and set us on a journey that unquestionably exceeded any of our simple expectations. And now it has led us here. To another beautiful ending.
Dave Grohl; Foo Fighters
So, where do I begin?
We owe it all to Mexico City.
Unbeknownst to them, the people who attended those two concerts back in December, 2013 at Foro Sol stadium helped fund the filming and recording of the bulk of the Sonic Highways project. They were the fuse that lit this little firecracker, baby. Without those gigs, many may have never heard the incredible and truly inspiring life stories of Buddy Guy, Steve Albini, Ian Mackaye, Tony Joe White, Zac Brown, Dolly Parton, Roky Erickson, Gary Clark Jr, Bruce Pavitt, Fred Drake, Terry Lickona, Joan Jett, Steve Rosenthal, Nora Guthrie......a list too long to share here. But, beyond giving our band the equivalent of a rock and roll university year abroad, they gave the entire world the most priceless gift: Inspiration. So....Gracias a todos, Mexico....we couldn’t have done it without you.
Before long, our rag tag crew of ne’er-do-wells was stumbling from city to city, coast to coast, taking in every drop (!) of 100 proof American culture we could squeeze. Dancing in a New Orleans second line parade, laying under the desert stars in Joshua Tree, walking the streets of Chicago in -30 degree weather...it was an American dream come true. Our only responsibility was to share it with you, and the brave people of HBO trusted us with that much. (very freely, I might add.) Blind faith? Perhaps. But, without Nina Rosenstein, we would not be the people who we are today. Looking back, she gave us something immeasurably generous: some of the greatest memories of our lives. These people and places that we experienced have filled our hearts...and ultimately our songs. So, thank you, Nina. We are yours. But, focused on the moment, we never in our wildest dreams could have imagined the whirlwind 23 months that lay ahead of us. We just put one foot in front of the other, and kept moving....
I must admit, I never looked at our schedule. I was too scared. I knew that this was it. This was the big one. There was talk of stadiums, and anniversaries, and TV shows. South Africa, Korea, Colombia. Letterman and Glastonbury. It all seemed too good to be true! But, as always, we kept our heads down and tried to appreciate every single moment as it fled. Because, you realize, none of this was ever supposed to happen. Ever. As we approached our twentieth anniversary, it was hard not to look back on all of those years and smile while shaking our heads in wonder and disbelief. From the Mike Watt van tour of 1995, to RFK stadium in Washington DC (my hometown gig) July 4th, 2015...those dots don’t necessarily connect in real life, you know? It still boggles the mind. But, the spoils of these blessings are not lost upon us. We count every last one.
Even the disasters.
Continued...