To celebrate their twentieth anniversary, the Foo Fighters set out to create eight unique records, with a specific focus on identity and place. The documentary is a compilation of interviews with some of the world’s most innovative people in music; piecing together an audible map of the United States. Throughout the course of the documentary we will see how this map came to form modern music as we know it.

To produce their eighth studio album, the Foo Fighters took a different approach, choosing to document their creative process. The documentary airs on HBO and Sky Atlantic, explores eight cities to produce eight records. Each episode documents Chicago, Washington D.C., Nashville, Austin, Los Angeles, New Orleans, Seattle, and New York; exploring a wealth of music across the US.

“This all started with one idea,” says frontman Dave Grohl, in the opening scenes of the doc. “That the environment in which you make a record, ultimately influences the end result. Not just the studio, but the people, and the history. When I listen to our records I remember everything about the experience. It’s like hearing your memories. I feel like if everyone knew more about the people and the places where this music is made, they would feel more connected to it.’

From the offset the documentary has a very intimate focus: that the music is for the fans, and as the audience we deserve insight into how their music took shape and affects us in the way it does. Grohl is specific in his intentions; to him music is made, not only by the musician, but by the producers, studio owners and fellow musicians who came influence the creative process.

Grohl explains how bands spend days at a time in cities, without physically getting a sense of the place; the inspiration for the album, in part, comes from this sentiment. Music takes on the traits and sounds of its environment, you can tell the character of a city by the music which is made their, and vice versa.

Episode One charts the musical lineage of Chicago, from the blues with BB King and Buddy Guy to the birth of Punk Rock with Naked Raygun and Cheap Trick. The Foos settle at Steve Albini’s studio, a legendary producer renowned for his cavalier attitude and his unwillingness to take royalties on the records he produces. Amongst others he produced Nirvana’s follow up to ‘Nevermind’ through one of the bands more turbulent patches.
Whilst at once Sonic Highways is a documentary about the Foo Fighters, at the next it is a documentary about music, music from across the spectrum. If you have any desire to create music, in any capacity, or even if you spectate from the side-lines, this documentary should hold a list on your weekly viewing schedule.

For more information visit: http://www.foofighters.com/

Tom Keane