Dave Grohl wanted to "reinvent the process" when creating the Foo Fighters' new album.
The group are making a documentary series which will see them record one song in each of eight cities they will visit, joined in the studio by local legends.
And before recording, Dave will interview musicians tied to a particular city, including Dolly Parton, Chuck D and Gary Clark Jr., and is saving writing lyrics for the tracks until after the conversations, in the hope they will trigger inspiration.
He said: "We could just go make another record in the studio, hit the road and sell a bunch of T-shirts. It's all about reinventing the process."
The 'Monkey Wrench' rockers will record in Austin, Chicago, Los Angeles, Nashville, New Orleans, New York, Seattle and Washington, D.C., with each location chosen because of its connection to the band.
Dave - who is also directing the accompanying series - added to Billboard: "These recording studios are hallowed ground; they're churches and monuments to me. History has been made in (dives) all over the country."
The 'Walk' singer recently promised the resulting album will surprise people.
He said: "As we were coming down from the success of the last record, I thought, 'Now we have license to get weird'.
"If we wanted, we could make some crazy, bleak Radiohead record and freak everyone out. Then I thought, 'F**k that.'
"[The goal is to make stadium anthems that startle. Instead of just] banging out these big choruses, because that's what we do, we're banging them out in the middle of instrumental sections that will take you by surprise. The music is a progression or an evolution, for sure, but it's a Foo Fighters record."
Tagged in Dave Grohl Dolly Parton Foo Fighters