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Dave Grohl confirms that he played drums on the new Foo Fighters album

While Foo Fighters have confirmed that Josh Freese will be playing drums for them, Dave Grohl was behind the kit for new album But Here We Are – his first drum credit on a Foos record since 2005.

Dave Grohl confirms that he played drums on the new Foo Fighters album
Words:
Emily Carter
Photo:
Tom Barnes

While the big talking point from yesterday’s brilliant Preparing Music For Concerts livestream was that Josh Freese is now drumming for the Foo Fighters, the rock legends teased another very awesome news nugget during the show: that Dave Grohl recorded the drums on their upcoming 11th album But Here We Are.

Filmed at their 606 Studios, the band tore through a fantastic set on May 21 for fans all over the world to watch for free and see Josh do his thing behind the kit. And during the performance – which included live debuts of recent singles Rescued and Under You – the Foos also played an as-yet-unreleased song from But Here We Are: the absolutely ace Nothing At All.

After the track was played, Josh said to Dave: “When you explained the beat on the record and you’re like, ‘I think I played it with one hand,’ and I’m kinda doing the same thing. It feels good and sounds cool, you know?”

“It was unintentional,” replied Dave. “I did it when I demoed it at my house, and I’d just woken up and I was tired. But on the shitty drum set at my house, it just kinda sounded better. You’re not hitting the hi-hat and the snare at the same time, so it sort of has more space.”

The last time Dave Grohl had a drum credit on a Foo Fighters record was 2005’s In Your Honor, for which he played the drums on Cold Day In The Sun (while the late, great Taylor Hawkins traded places with Dave by singing and playing rhythm guitar).

New album But Here We Are is due out on June 2. Comprised of 10 tracks, the record has been described in a press release as a “brutally honest and emotionally raw response to everything Foo Fighters endured over the last year” as well as “sonically channelling the naiveté of Foo Fighters’ 1995 debut, informed by decades of maturity and depth”.

Preparing Music For Concerts is available for rewatch on Veeps up until 12pm PT / 3pm ET on May 24.

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