Foo Fighters fight against grief with new album: “But Here We Are”

After “a brutally honest and emotionally raw response to everything [they’ve] endured over the last year”  – Foo Fighters new album “But Here We Are” was released this June 2nd, as a response to the loss of Taylor Hawkins. 

Taylor Hawkins was a very experienced drummer but with many different paths in his career, although mainly known as the loving drummer in the Foo Fighters since March 18th 1997. He provided many things to the band such as his vocals, guitar, writing, piano, and commitment. He unfortunately passed away March 25th, 2022 with his last performance in the band being 5 days before then. Taylor was at the Four Seasons Casa Medina hotel March 25th, waiting to perform with the band later that day. Hawkins had a struggle with substance abuse, but was very open about it. He vocalized that this type of lifestyle isn’t something to idolize, but everyone is going to do what they want to do, experiment, but he has made it aware he took it too far. People will make assumptions, opinions, about whatever he did or however he left, but that part of his life isn’t the big picture. 

Alongside Taylor eight other members are, and or always will be known as being in the band. Including the one and only Dave Grohl – lead singer, guitarist, principal songwriter, and lifelong friend of Hawkins. Shane – Taylor’s son – went right under Hawkins wing with new performances of the Foo Fighters, showing his incredible skill with the drums. He has definitely paid attention to his dad’s profession, being just as amazing for his age.

The first single released for the new album was Rescued. After that single, over weeks the album was being unlocked more and more with three other singles released since the announcement of the album, April 19th. The first time listening to all these new songs, I knew this album would go far.  The Foo Fighters second single before the album is a track called “Under You” supposedly about Hawkins, with the lyrics “Someone said I’ll never see your face again/ Part of me just can’t believe it’s true/ Pictures of us sharing songs and cigarettes/ This is how I’ll always picture you.” It’s worded, written, and sung perfectly. Dave Grohl has recently stepped up to the mic with a per usual amazing performance, and also dedicated a song to Hawkins. Grohl gets emotional when saying “This is something I’d never thought I’d have to do – I’m gonna try to do it. Taylor wrote this song, we used to sing it together.” Amongst the crowd you can hear chanting “We love you Taylor” as Grohl starts to strum Cold Day in the Sun. Fans seem to recognize that the band actually looks genuinely happy to be back on stage again, it’s obviously been difficult but with this album they can finally be recovering, although there’s no getting over it – the passing of Hawkins. Listening to this album, some may feel a sense of hope with its path of relatable, lifting songs. We all know how much music changes someone, and maybe this album could change the entire year, or your entire life. Because as stated by the band, “Foo Fighters were formed [28] years ago to represent the healing power of music and a continuation of life.”