“To be honest, I’m not good at downtime,” says Chris Shiflett. “I have to be playing, learning something new all the time.” That explains why the long-time Foo Fighter wears so many professional hats, hosting a musicians’ interview podcast (Walking The Floor) and a guitar-centric vodcast (Shred With Shifty), while pushing further into a burgeoning solo career with the release of his third album, Lost At Sea. Shiflett’s easy-going demeanour and enthusiasm make him an engaging companion, whether he’s singing about seizing the moment, or breaking down a Rush guitar solo with Alex Lifeson.
Which posters did you have on your wall as a kid?
When I was in elementary school I had pictures of Kiss all over my walls. Later a Randy Rhodes poster, a Sex Pistols poster. A lot of the time you were limited to what your local record store had [laughs]. As I got older I started collecting flyers; Armored Saint, L.A. Guns, Poison. It’s funny, my wife used to be a stylist, and she would always put together inspiration boards, where she’d cover the walls with photos. It’s kind of like that for teenage rock’n’rollers and posters. It’s your inspiration board.