Grohl writing "silly" songs for album

David Grohl has revealed that his Foo Fighters bandmates have urged him to write more "silly" songs for their new album.

Grohl, who is working on the follow-up to 2007's Echoes, Silence, Patience and Grace, admits he was asked by bassist Nate Mendel to ditch some of the more "heavy" material in favour of fun songs.

Grohl told NME: "At one point Nate sent me an email, and said, 'I really like it when you write songs that are silly and mean nothing, too. You don't have to try and write 'Imagine' every time you sit down with a pen and paper.

"When we were demoing we came up with all this heavy s**t, so I said in an interview 'this is going to be our heaviest record yet'.

"[Producer] Butch [Vig] saw it and then when I'd approach him with a new song idea, he'd say, 'This doesn't rock enough, no... Next.' I'd have to show him another one."

The group recently announced two concert dates at Milton Keynes Bowl on July 2 and 3 next year.