UPDATE: Dave Grohl's innovative new two-part mini-documentary PLAY, which celebrates the rewards and challenges of dedicating one's life to playing music, as well as chronicling the creation of the Foo Fighters main man's epic new solo song of the same title, is now available for viewing and interaction. Check it out here.
ORIGINAL STORY, 8/1/18: Recently, Foo Fighters frontman Dave Grohl set out to record a 23-minute, live instrumental track, crafted and performed on seven instruments entirely by his lonesome. To make the challenge even harder, the rocker imposed a zero-tolerance policy on mistakes: If he messed up at any point during those 23-minutes, on any track, he had to take it from the top. Somehow, Grohl managed to walk away from the session not only with his sanity intact, but a finished song, titled "PLAY."
Now, just as Foo Fighters finish out their present Concrete and Gold tour, Grohl has announced a forthcoming two-part doc chronicling the making of "PLAY." The self-directed film, shot by Brandon Trost (The Disaster Artist, This Is the End), also highlights the importance of music education through the story of Join the Band, a California center where young, aspiring musicians hone their craft. The ultimate take-away, Grohl says, is that "just like any kid, the reward is just to PLAY."
PLAY will be released on August 10th via Roswell Records/RCA, with a limited-edition vinyl pressing of the song to follow on September 28th. (You can pre-order it here.) It'll accompany an "online interactive experience" inspired by the record, which will give fans the options to watch the doc as-is or instrument-by-instrument, as well as download "PLAY" sheet music. Stay posted to the film's official website for more information.
"Watching my kids start to play music and learn to sing or play drums, it brings me back to the time when I was their age listening to albums, learning from listening ... and when I take my kids to the place where they take their lessons, I see these rooms full of children that are really pushing themselves to figure this out," Grohl says of the inspiration behind "PLAY," going on to add: "Even now, as a 49-year-old man, I'm still trying to figure it out ... it's not something that you ever truly master. You're always chasing the next challenge, and you're always trying to find a way to improve on what you've learned."
Below, check out a photo of Grohl's overhead schematic for the "PLAY" sessions:
