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Medicine at Midnight

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Medicine at Midnight
Studio album by
Foo Fighters
ReleasedFebruary 5, 2021 (2021-02-05)
Recorded2019–2020 in Encino, Los Angeles
Length36:32
Label
Producer
Foo Fighters chronology
Foo Files
(2019-20) 		Medicine at Midnight
(2021)
Singles from Medicine at Midnight
  1. "Shame Shame"
    Released: November 7, 2020
  2. "No Son of Mine"
    Released: January 1, 2021

Medicine at Midnight is the upcoming tenth studio album by American rock band Foo Fighters. Originally scheduled for 2020, the album was delayed to February 5, 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The album's first single, "Shame Shame", was released ahead of the album on November 7, 2020, and followed by second single, "No Son of Mine" released on January 1, 2021.

Background and recording

After releasing their ninth studio album, Concrete and Gold in 2017, and touring extensively behind it through much of 2018, the Foo Fighters announced they would be taking a break in October 2018, with frontman Dave Grohl stating that although they needed a rest, he already had some initial ideas for the band's next album.[1] The break would last for less than a year, as by August 2019, drummer Taylor Hawkins reported that Grohl had already been demoing material by himself, and that the rest of the members planned to start contributing shortly thereafter.[2] The band collectively started recording for the album in October 2019.[3] The following month, Grohl described the band as being "right in the middle" of the recording process, and that the album was sounding "fucking weird".[4]

The album was recorded in a large, old house from the 1940s in Encino, Los Angeles.[5] Recording sessions proceeded quickly, something Grohl attributed two things – that the material was progressing quickly and that they were recording in an environment where strange things kept happening.[6][5] Grohl recalled:

"I knew the vibes were definitely off, but the sound was fucking on. We would come back to the studio the next day and all of the guitars would be detuned. Or the setting we'd put on the [mixing] board, all of them had gone back to zero. We would open up a Pro Tools session and tracks would be missing. There were some tracks that were put on there that we didn't put on there. But just like weird open mic noises. Nobody playing an instrument or anything like that, just an open mic recording a room."[6]

Grohl noted that they captured unexplainable footage on video, but due to a non-disclosure agreement with the house's owner, who was attempting to sell the property, the footage cannot be shown.[7] Contrary to the Concrete and Gold sessions, which frequently ended in nights of large cookouts, drinking, and parties, the sessions were wrapped up as quickly as possible.[6] In February 2020, Grohl confirmed that the album was finished.[8]

Composition and themes

Grohl likened the album's sound to David Bowie's Let's Dance album, with him explaining that it's "not like a EDM, disco, [or] modern dance record" but rather "this really up, fun record" that is "filled with anthemic, huge, sing-along rock songs."[9] Hawkins described the album as being more "pop-oriented" than prior releases, different from their usual post-grunge sound.[10] He also noted the use of a drum loop on the album, another atypical trait for the band.[10] One song on the album contains a guitar riff that Grohl wrote 25 years ago in Seattle, but was never able to find a song to use it in until now.[11] Grohl stated:

"Some of those songs, the best ones happen in 45 minutes. Then there's other songs — there's a riff on the new record I’ve been working on for 25 years. The first time I demoed it was in my basement in Seattle."[12]

Grohl states the album was inspired by "Our love of rock bands that make these upbeat, up-tempo, almost danceable records.[13]

Release and promotion

In February 2020, the band announced "The Van Tour 2020", a 25th-anniversary tour where the band would perform in all of the same cities as the band had twenty-five years prior in their first North American tour, only in larger venues.[14][15] While the tour was originally scheduled to run in April and May 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic forced the band to delay the tour to October and December of the same year.[16] In May 2020, the band announced that they had indefinitely delayed the album, while the band figures out how to promote and sell the album post-pandemic.[17][18] While the initial delay was due to the pandemic and the band's inability to tour in support of it, Grohl later decided to release it during the pandemic anyways, upon realizing its ability to be heard and lift people's spirits outweighed their desire to tour in support of it.[19]

Promotions picked back up again in November of the same year. The band announced they would perform on the November 7 episode of Saturday Night Live.[20] Treading up to the performance, they started teasing new music snippets of a song on their social media platforms.[21] On November 7, the band released the first single, "Shame Shame".[22] On January 1, 2021, the band released the second single of the album, "No Son of Mine".[23]

Critical reception

Kerrang! placed the album atop of their "15 Albums Still to Look Forward to in 2020" list prior to its delay to 2021.[24]

Track listing

No.TitleLength
1."Making a Fire"4:15
2."Shame Shame"4:17
3."Cloudspotter"3:53
4."Waiting on a War"4:13
5."Medicine at Midnight"3:30
6."No Son of Mine"3:28
7."Holding Poison"4:24
8."Chasing Birds"4:12
9."Love Dies Young"4:20
Total length:36:32

Personnel

References

  1. ^ "Foo Fighters to 'take a break' – but have ideas for their new album". NME. October 17, 2018. Retrieved November 8, 2020.
  2. ^ "Foo Fighters' Taylor Hawkins: "I Think We'll Have a New Record By Next Year"". Spin. August 19, 2019. Retrieved November 8, 2020.
  3. ^ "Foo Fighters hope to release new album in 2020". Consequence of Sound. August 19, 2019. Retrieved November 8, 2020.
  4. ^ "Dave Grohl on New Foo Fighters Album: "It's Fucking Weird"". Spin. November 14, 2019. Retrieved November 8, 2020.
  5. ^ a b "How Ghosts Nearly Ruined the Foo Fighters' 10th Album". Rolling Stone. March 23, 2020. Retrieved November 8, 2020.
  6. ^ a b c "Dave Grohl Says Foo Fighters Album Recorded In Haunted House". Radio. March 23, 2020. Retrieved November 8, 2020.
  7. ^ "Foo Fighters Not Allowed to Prove Their Studio Was Haunted". Ultimate Classic Rock. March 24, 2020. Retrieved November 8, 2020.
  8. ^ "Dave Grohl Confirms Foo Fighters' New Album Is Finished". Consequence of Sound. February 12, 2020. Retrieved November 8, 2020.
  9. ^ "Dave Grohl Compares Foo Fighters' New Album to David Bowie's Let's Dance". Pitchfork. May 10, 2020. Retrieved November 8, 2020.
  10. ^ a b "Dave Grohl admits nerves ahead of new Foo Fighters album: "You turn into a six-year-old"". NME. March 20, 2020. Retrieved November 8, 2020.
  11. ^ "Dave Grohl Says the New Foo Fighters Album Is Finished". Spin. February 12, 2020. Retrieved November 8, 2020.
  12. ^ "Foo Fighters Done With New Album + One Song Has 25-Year-Old Riff". Loudwire. November 7, 2020. Retrieved February 12, 2020.
  13. ^ "Foo Fighters' New Album Medicine At Midnight: Everything We Know So Far". Kerrang!. November 11, 2020. Retrieved November 24, 2020.
  14. ^ "The 13 Best Things That Happened in Music This Week (Feb. 21)". Billboard. February 21, 2020. Retrieved November 8, 2020.
  15. ^ "Foo Fighters Announce the Van Tour 2020". Ultimate Classic Rock. February 18, 2020. Retrieved November 8, 2020.
  16. ^ "Foo Fighters Rescheduled Van Tour Dates May". Billboard. February 21, 2020. Retrieved November 8, 2020.
  17. ^ "Foo Fighters 'shelve' album indefinitely". News Break. May 9, 2020. Retrieved November 8, 2020.
  18. ^ "Foo Fighters 'shelve' album indefinitely". Female First. May 9, 2020. Retrieved November 8, 2020.
  19. ^ https://loudwire.com/foo-fighters-decision-release-medicine-at-midnight-during-pandemic/
  20. ^ "Foo Fighters Announced as This Week's SNL Musical Guests". Pitchfork. November 4, 2020. Retrieved November 8, 2020.
  21. ^ "Foo Fighters tease more snippets of new music for 10th album". NME. November 7, 2020. Retrieved November 8, 2020.
  22. ^ "Foo Fighters Debut 'Shame Shame' on 'SNL,' Announce New Album". Rolling Stone. November 8, 2020. Retrieved November 8, 2020.
  23. ^ https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/foo-fighters-new-song-no-son-of-mine-1108983/
  24. ^ "15 Albums Still To Look Forward To In 2020". Kerrang!. May 9, 2020. Retrieved November 8, 2020.
  25. ^ "Credits / Shame Shame / Foo Fighters". Tidal. Retrieved December 8, 2020.
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