Hayley Williams Remembers Taylor Hawkins On New Radio Show
Hayley Williams has spoken about the influence that Foo Fighters and their late drummer Taylor Hawkins have had on Paramore during the latest episode of her radio show, Everything Is Emo.
In this week’s episode of Everything Is Emo, Williams spent time discussing the influence that Foo Fighters have hand on her band, Paramore.
“[Foo Fighters] are a really important band to everyone, the whole world,” she said. “But such an important band to Paramore. When I first met the guys, there were a few albums that we talked about a lot, that we referenced a lot, Foo Fighters was a band that always came up.”
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She went on to remember how Paramore drummer Zac Farro was in need of “a good drum kit” when they first began playing shows, and gifted a kit that was previously owned by Hawkins.
“A friend that lived in town leant him a drum kit – which he ultimately gave to him – and it belonged to Taylor Hawkins first,” she said. “For our first shows and tours, it’s like we stole a blessing from Taylor Hawkins. It’s like we took it as him saying, ‘Yes, go forth and continue’.”
Williams also reflected on Hawkins influence, “I think about Taylor Hawkins a lot, when I think about Zac’s playing. I don’t want to centre myself or Paramore in the conversation around Taylor Hawkins’ death, but it’s just to say that he meant a lot to so many people and there are so many stories I’m sure we’re yet to hear about him, and things that he’s done for people, ways that he’s touched peoples’ lives.
“But I think, more than anything, as a music fan and as a Foo Fighters fan, I love what [Hawkins] did for Dave Grohl. I listen to his album There’s Nothing Left To Lose and I know it’s the first record that Taylor played on. He joined the Foo Fighters and they made this record together. And you can hear the difference; I think that it brought out something in Dave Grohl’s voice and the way that he wrote, all of it.
“It just really resonates with me and I loved this record so much as a teenager.”