Butch Vig, Nirvana’s producer, recently spoke with Scott Lipps and revealed the most difficult aspect of working with Dave Grohl for late Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins. Vig began his remarks by detailing how Hawkins’ death affected Grohl: “Taylor was a fantastic drummer.” He will be sadly missed not only by Foos fans, but by everyone who knew him. He was an excellent father. He was Dave’s closest companion. They were like brothers connected at the hip, and it’s a loss that Dave will probably never fully recover from in some ways, but he’s moving on. He wants to produce music, and I believe he needs to make music to be Dave Grohl.”
The producer continued, recalling his studio days with the late singer and the challenges Taylor encountered when working with Grohl: “Taylor brought this incredible, vibrant energy to the Foos.” It was so much fun in the studio because of the back-and-forth banter between the band, especially Taylor and Dave. There’s some self-deprecation going on, as if they’re not too proud of themselves.
Dave, on the other hand, is a fantastic drummer. That, I believe, was the most difficult thing for Taylor. ‘My boss is probably a better drummer than I am.’ Dave is a superior guitarist, bassist, and all-around musician. He’s the one. He’s tremendously talented.” Butch Vig revealed in his interview that Dave Grohl is motivated to continue producing music, despite his friend’s death. ‘But Here We Are,’ the band’s first album since Hawkins’ death, was released on June 2. Grohl recorded all of the drum parts himself in the absence of Taylor. The song is dedicated to paying tribute to the late Foo Fighters member. You can listen to the band’s new album and see Vig’s full interview below.