Originally found at: http://www.swaymag.com/Sympathy7.html

Foo Fighters frontman Dave Grohl discusses the making of his third and latest album, There Is Nothing Left To Lose, including getting used to the sound of his voice, building his home studio, despising Los Angeles and having his head screwed on tight. Includes a sidebar on new member Chris Shiflett. Vocalist/guitarist Grohl, drummer Taylor Hawkins and bassist Nate Mendel went ahead and recorded the album, with producer Adam Kasper, before Chris Shiflett came in to replace departed second guitarist Franz.

Interview conducted Sept. 14, 1999

Sidebar on new guitarist Chris Shiflett:

"After a while you felt like you were a hooker in a red light district, just one after another," says Foo Fighters singer-guitarist Dave Grohl of the auditioning process which led to the rock band's discovery of new guitarist Chris Shiflett.

After Franz left the Foo Fighters, Grohl, drummer Taylor Hawkins and bassist Nate Mendel recorded the third album, There Is Nothing Left To Lose (due Nov. 2) with producer Adam Kasper (Soundgarden, Nirvana), then held auditions in Los Angeles for another guitarist.

While Hawkins was an old pro at auditions, having landed gigs that way for Sass Jordan and Alanis Morissette, Grohl had only been to one as a teenager to join Scream, the band he drummed for prior to forming Nirvana.

"We had never auditioned anyone before," says Grohl of Foo Fighters. "In the case of (original guitarist) Pat (Smear), he joined the band because he was a friend, and in Franz's case, it was the same deal. We had no auditions. He just joined and we went on our way.

"It was definitely a priority this time to find someone that was really good because Chris is by far the best guitarist we've had in the band and sings back-ups really well, and covers all the bases that we never could. So it's a huge difference.

"We auditioned probably 35 or 40 people," says Grohl. "A lot of people who came in were nervous and we immediately told them that we were just as nervous as them and we had never done this before, and didn't want it to be weird, so we'd sit down and chat and play a couple of songs."

Shiflett, who had spent the last four-and-a-half years playing in No Use For A Name, on Fat Wreck Chords, was hooked up for the audition by a friend of a friend. He was sent a tape of a few songs to learn, including the new track, "Aurora", one of Grohl's favourites, and "A320" from the Godzilla soundtrack.

"We spent more time talking at the auditions than we did playing," echoes Shiflett. "There was no real interrogation process. We just shot the shit and talked about tour stuff, band stuff and silly stories."

"We usually do a CIA background check, make sure he has no prior convictions," Grohl quips, then adds more seriously, "Of everyone we played with, Chris just seemed to be perfect. He was actually one of the first people auditioned and we hoped that the rest of them were going to be as good, but no one was. There are so many different things you have to take into consideration when you're having somebody join your...life."

As for the new Foo's life, he's done grueling tours before with No Use For A Name, but none quite like what lies ahead. "We just have a lot of touring planned," says Shiflett, 28, who performed his first show with the band Sept. 3 at the Troubadour in Los Angeles. "We're going to be gone for a very long time. I'm mostly looking forward to just playing shows, just to get everything wired.

"I'm sure after a couple of months of this, I'll look 45."