Dave Grohl vividly remembers the first time he heard Lorde. "I was driving," he says. "My two daughters, Violet and Harper, who are 8 and 5 years old, started singing along. I was so happy and relieved that my two girls were singing a popular song on the radio that had some substance and depth, which I considered to be healthy for them as kids. I know that sounds kind of parent-ish."
The inside story of Nirvana's one-night-only reunion
The Foo Fighters frontman isn't a fan of most Top 40 music. "When I first heard 'Royals' it was sandwiched between all of that other stripper pop," he says. "I was so (expletive) relieved. I thought, 'Hey, this might be another revolution.' When I met her I said, 'When I first heard your song on the radio and my kids sang along I felt like there was hope for my kids to grow up in an environment which is more than just superficial.'"
When he decided to bring in a group of female singers to front Nirvana at the Hall of Fame, he had little doubt that Lorde would fit in perfectly. "There's something about her that represented or resembled the Nirvana aesthetic," he says. "She has an incredible future ahead of her as a writer, performer and vocalist."
More from Rolling Stone:
- Nirvana reunite with Lorde, Joan Jett on vocals for Rock Hall of Fame
- Inside Nirvana's secret Post-Rock Hall show
- How Lorde broke all the rules: Inside Rolling Stone's new issue