Taylor Hawkins once defined the sound of Foo Fighters
The late Foo Fighters drummer, Taylor Hawkins, was one of the finest rhythmic maestros of the contemporary era, fusing John Bonham-esque power with technical ability and a keen ear for songwriting. Possessing every element needed to be regarded as a legend of music, this, in addition to his consistently amiable nature, made Hawkins’ premature passing a harsh blow.
Despite the tragic context of his death, Hawkins left behind a terrific legacy. His creative efforts speak for themselves, but he’s also a superb interviewee, proving himself to be a jovial character in the hard-faced world of rock and roll. As well as a smiling assassin on the drums, Hawkins was a studious musician, always trying to improve himself.
When speaking to Modern Drummer in 2011, Hawkins gave a particularly compelling interview describing his influences, style and practice regimen. At one point during the conversation, he also defined the sound of the Foo Fighters, explaining how they approached recording and his shared understanding with band leader Dave Grohl and bassist Nate Mendel.
It was put to Hawkins that the group’s recording began with him and Grohl laying down the basic rhythm track, to which he responded: “Yes. I think the reason Dave and I tend to start the tracks together is because we’re both drummers. As well as being an amazing rhythm guitar player and pop/rock songwriter, Dave identifies as much with drums as anything, if not more than anything”.
Hawkins added: “He can get his ideas down holding a guitar and communicating with me as the drummer, and that creates the foundation of the song. Dave can say anything. He’ll say, ‘Play a Motown beat,’ for example, and we can communicate really well that way. It helps him to be able to work out the arrangement in his head. It’s almost like I’m his drum machine.”
Was the aim at this point to lock in with the frontman’s guitar? “Yes, Dave is very into the rhythm of the riffs being locked with the drums,” Hawkins explained. “That isn’t always the case with rock music. Often the drummer will be playing something simple. Coattail Riders is much more free, with more over-the-bar moments. But with the Foos, Dave likes the drums and the guitar riff to be very locked.”
“Dave will come in with an idea for a guitar riff,” Hawkins revealed of the creative process. “He’ll have a chord sequence or a melody, and he’ll sing me the chorus or an idea for the verses. I’ll try different rhythms or ideas with his ideas. Straight time? Half time? Then we’ll work out the arrangement and the feel of the song that way. And then we’ll record a rough demo — all done very quickly, maybe half an hour. Dave is so quick at laying down a bass track and a couple rhythm guitars. They’re very raw and simple demos, but they give him a blueprint for how a song should sound. Then he takes those files or tapes home and works out the melody and what the arrangement should be. Then we work on arrangements together.”
To reaffirm what Hawkins had just said, outlining the volume of work he and Grohl did before the rest of the Foo Fighters entered the picture, the interviewer said: “The two of you do all that before the rest of the band comes in?”
The late Foo Fighters drummer expanded on his original comment and reflected on how his bandmates added to the creative process. Defining the band’s sound, he said: “The sound of the Foo Fighters is almost the sound of me and Dave locking in, then Nate playing over the top of it.”
Hawkins concluded: “We do the groundwork, then the other guys come in and throw in little bits and bobs. Nate floats around like [the Who’s] John Entwistle — he’s very melodic—where Dave’s rhythm guitar is almost more of a bass track. Again, like a Who thing almost. The sound of the Foo Fighters is almost the sound of me and Dave locking in, then Nate playing over the top of it.”
