Nirvana was one of the defining bands of its era, and that came off the strength of only about a half-decade of mainstream success before Kurt Cobain’s tragic death. While the band left fans with legendary music, there was still loads of unfilled potential with the group, a thought that still saddens Dave Grohl.
On a recent episode of Apple Music’s Medicine At Midnight Radio, Grohl spoke about the success of the band towards the end of its run and how he wishes Cobain was still making music today. He said:
“The shows were getting bigger. The crowds were getting bigger. The crowds outside of the shows were bigger than the crowds inside the shows. We could see that something was happening, but we really never expected that it would turn out to be as big as it was. I don’t think any of us expected that. […]
Of course, [Cobain’s death] was an incredibly challenging experience, and ultimately one of the greatest heartbreaks of my life that Nirvana isn’t still here today making music, whether it would be called Nirvana or something else. It is one of my life’s greatest heartbreaks that Kurt isn’t still here to write more amazing songs because it’s pretty clear that he was blessed with a gift. I think it’s safe to say that he was the greatest songwriter of our generation. I’m very proud to say that I got to be his drummer and play those songs every night.”
Meanwhile, Pat Smear, Grohl’s Foo Fighters bandmate and a former touring member of Nirvana, recently revealed that surviving Nirvana members still jam together sometimes.