Foo Fighters' Chris Shiflett Welcomes Nile Rodgers To Shred with Shifty Podcast

09-15-2023

(MP) On a recent episode of the Shred with Shifty Podcast, Foo Fighters star Chris Shiflett sits down with the musical legend himself, Nile Rodgers, the many responsible for writing hits like "We Are Family," "Like a Virgin," and "Le Freak."

The two guitarists get into the weeds on Nile's influences, gear, path to stardom, and of course take a deep dive into music and lyrics for Diana Ross's "I'm Coming Up," a song written and produced by Nile Rodgers and Bernard Edwards. The duo had tried the song's drumbeat on other tracks previous to this one, even nicknaming it "the hesitation waltz." But, its playful rhythm didn't land until "I'm Coming Up."

"I'm a very hook-oriented guy," Rodgers reveals. "I believe in reinforcing the thing that is melodically the motif that the house is built on."

With Rodgers, it all started with classical music and woodwinds, specifically the flute and clarinet, but as Rodgers tells it, a major turning point was a chance encounter with a crew of Los Angeles hippies, that led to a two-day LSD party soundtracked by The Doors' first album.

SHRED WITH SHIFTY is produced by Jason Shadrick, Chris Shiflett, leading music podcast company Double Elvis, and Volume.com along with Premier Guitar. Full video episodes will be available exclusively on Volume.com. Audio versions of every episode will be available on all major podcast platforms. Stream it here.