The head of the Foo Fighters speaks about the death of his friend and drummer Taylor Hawkins
To announce the new album and after releasing the title track “Your Favorite Toy,” lead singer and guitarist Dave Grohl spoke about the death of former band member Taylor Hawkins. Grohl admitted how difficult it was for the band to continue making music after the death of their drummer in 2022.
Mourning for bandmates
Hawkins died in his hotel room at the age of 50 in 2022 while on the Foo Fighters tour in Bogotá, Colombia. Grohl now spoke in an interview about how the band managed to continue after his death. The drummer had played for the Foo Fighters for 25 years and, according to Grohl, was not only an incredible drummer, but also like a brother to him and fellow band members Nate Mendel, Pat Smear, Chris Shiflett and Rami Jaffee. The band’s subsequent career initially proved to be difficult.
Separation from Freese
In 2024, Josh Freese took over the drummer spot on the tour. However, in May 2025, he announced with an Instagram post that his journey with the Foo Fighters was coming to an abrupt end. He didn’t appear angry, but rather felt it was a shame that his time with the Foo Fighters was so short.
Now finally a statement
After many years, Grohl also made his statement about the separation from Freese. He explained that over the six to seven months of touring, the band had talked about going in a different direction more often. They also told the drummer Freese this in a joint conversation.
New album and tour announced
Since then, Ilan Rubin has been playing for the Foo Fighters and has also made it into the new album, which is scheduled to be released in April 2026. The band will tour the UK, Europe and North America later this year. However, Grohl also emphasized again that the band still misses the late drummer every day and that they still clearly feel him among them.
