Grohl to direct 'Sound City' documentary

LOS ANGELES, May 1 (UPI) -- Musician Dave Grohl announced Tuesday he plans to direct and produce a documentary about the famed Sound City recording studio in Van Nuys, Calif.

Best known for his work with Foo Fighters and Nirvana, Grohl said he came up with the idea for the film after purchasing the Neve 8028 recording console from Sound City Studios last year.

He said the console, built in 1972, is considered by many to be the "crown jewel of analog recording equipment," having recorded such artists as Neil Young, Fleetwood Mac, Tom Petty, Cheap Trick, Guns 'N Roses, Fear, Nirvana, Rage Against the Machine, Slipknot, Nine Inch Nails, Metallica and other musical icons during the past 40 years.

Roswell Films, a division of the Roswell Records label that releases Foo Fighters music, will distribute the film. It is being written by Mark Monroe whose credits include "The Cove," "Once In a Lifetime" and "The Tillman Story."

"'Sound City' is a film about America's greatest unsung recording studio," Grohl said in a hand-written letter posted on Facebook. "Deep in California's sun-burnt San Fernando Valley, tucked away behind the train tracks and dilapidated warehouses, it was the birthplace of legend. It was witness to history. It was home to a special few, intent on preserving an ideal."