In the latest episode of the Rolling Stone Music Now podcast, host Brian Hiatt features a never-before-heard interview with late Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins, speaking about his close friendship with Dave Grohl, all of the ups and downs of band life, and much more.
Listen to the Rolling Stone Music Now podcast and celebrate the life and music of Taylor Hawkins + the Foo Fighters on Audacy's Foo Fighters Radio
Before presenting his interview with Hawkins, conducted at his home studio for his final in-person chat with Rolling Stone prior to his tragic passing on March 25, Hiatt explains the laid-back nature of the late musician, who sat shirtless and shoeless among posters and memorabilia of his musical heroes. The drummer was about to get back in the saddle of live touring with the Foos after the height of COVID, and although he had been on the road for the better part of 28 years, nervous jitters of performing for a crowd, he says, were always a part of his process.
After a year and a half of those nerves being blocked, Hawkins equated his anticipation to climbing the stairs of a bungee jump. "All these crazy psychoses" arise, he explained. "I feel like everything on my body is wrong, my leg doesn't feel right... all that kind of s*** that you go through to get yourself prepped enough just to play a little club show." Taylor says Dave Grohl, "used to freak out about stuff like that... he used to get pretty bad nerves as well." When Hiatt joked that "he just drinks," Hawkins, laughed saying, "which helps, too I'm sure. I can't do that when playing drums."
Pressed if he likes to be completely sober when performing, again Hawkins laughs, saying, "Oh my god, dude, do you see what I do? Yeah, for good results." Marijuana, he says "would be the worst! I've made that mistake before dude, back in the day," remembering jamming out to Janes Addiction, The Police, and Led Zeppelin songs while "getting f***ing baked and doing bong rips" with his buddies. "You write your songs and you're all tripped out and all that... you don't want that on stage. I don't know motherf***ers who can. Some people do, and more power to them. But f*** that s***."
"I just lead a really healthy lifestyle. I've been down that road with people so much, and it's been a thing that's been an arc of my life so much... my story in the band almost sometimes is my big f*** up in London 20 years ago... I don't want to talk about, I don't want my son reading," he says. "For anyone out there who has problems, and their life is a mess, yeah, I get it. My life has been there plenty of times," Taylor adds, regarding his choices, and the conversation around sobriety in general. "I get it, but I don't want that to be the centerpiece of my story... basically, I got the message."
Elsewhere in the interview, Hawkins talks about his early introduction to the Foos, which he quit for a hot minute after Grohl explained to him in no uncertain terms one day that, "This is... my f***ing band. If you don’t like it, f***ing beat it," as well as his thoughts on pushing Grohl and the rest of the group to new levels, drumming styles, and much more.
In honor of the tragic passing of Taylor Hawkins, Audacy is featuring a special playback of our 2017 interview and performance with the Foo Fighters this Sunday, April 3 at 10PM from the DTS Sound Space. Grab details on how to listen right HERE.
Listen to more of your favorite music on Audacy's all-new stations like Foo Fighters Radio, Alterna 90s, Rockternative, Rock N’ Road, Drivin' Alt, Arena Rock, Wake Up and Rock, Alt Roots, and The Roots of Rock for those who crave the early days.
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