Foo Fighters are searching for a replacement for the late drummer Taylor Hawkins as they prepare to return to the tour a year after his death.
The band, which is fronted by former Nirvana drummer Dave Grohl, plans to embark on a tour of the United States and Canada starting this summer, sources told The Sun.
They also shared that the band has narrowed the search for Hawkins’ replacement to two respected drummers: Pearl Jam’s Matt Cameron and Against Me!’s Atom Willard.
The wildly successful alternative rock band have reportedly auditioned a number of drummers ahead of their June 18 headlining spot at the Bonnaroo Music Festival in Manchester, Tennessee, as well as for subsequent tour dates.
Hawkins died on March 25, 2022 at the age of 50 in his hotel room in Bogotá, Colombia, just hours before he was due to perform with Foo Fighters.
Back on the road: The Foo Fighters search for a replacement for late drummer Taylor Hawkins as they prepare to return to the road a year after his death; Grohl and Hawkins seen on February 26, 2022
Gone Too Soon: Hawkins died in his hotel room in Bogotá, Colombia on March 25, 2022, just hours before he was due to perform with the Foo Fighters. He had multiple substances in his system and an enlarged heart, but no cause of death was given; seen in 2014
After taking time to mourn Hawkins and commemorating him with tribute concerts, Foo Fighters are ready to solidify a new line-up for the upcoming tour and festivals.
“The Foos have been working with a number of musicians close to Taylor and the band over the past few months,” a source told The Sun. “Matt and Atom are front runners in performances, the first of which is in May.”
The band seems ready to turn on and off with the drummers.
“First and foremost it will be Matt, but Atom will rotate with him. They both rehearsed at Studio 606, the Foos’ studio,” the source added.
Cameron has no tour dates planned with his band Pearl Jam at this time, but there’s no sign of him planning to leave the grunge rock giants at the moment, and Willard also appears to still be a full-time member of Against Me! .
“Matt was a good friend of Taylor’s and is very close to Foos frontman Dave Grohl,” the source continued, noting that Pearl Jam’s drummer would be a perfect fit for the rock band.
“Final arrangements are being made but it looks very likely that Matt will be playing those gigs in the US over the summer.”
Although no cause of death was officially released for Hawkins, an early urine toxicology report showed he had 10 substances in his system that may have contributed to his death, including benzodiazepines, opioids, antidepressants, and THC, the psychoactive component of marijuana.
Hawkins, who survived a heroin overdose years earlier, also had an enlarged heart, according to a preliminary autopsy. The condition may also have contributed to his death.
On the verge of a decision: The band have narrowed the search for Hawkins’ replacement to two respected drummers: Matt Cameron of Pearl Jam (pictured in 2021) and Atom Willard of Against Me!
Mix and Match: The band seems ready to flip in and out with the drummers. “First and foremost it will be Matt, but Atom will rotate with him. They both rehearsed at Studio 606, the Foos’ studio,” the source added
Moving forward: Back in December, Grohl and the rest of the Foo Fighters shared a statement on social media vowing to keep performing after Hawkins’ death
Hawkins noted the size of his heart, which was larger than usual, when speaking to Rolling Stone in June 2021, although he said at the time his doctor compared it to an athlete’s heart, suggesting it wasn’t a cause for concern .
Back in December, Grohl and the rest of the Foo Fighters shared a statement on social media vowing to continue performing after Hawkins’ death.
“Without Taylor,” the band wrote, “we would never have become the band we were – and without Taylor, we know we will be a different band going forward.”
Concluding their statement, the rock stars wrote: “We also know that you, the fans, meant as much to Taylor as he did to you. And we know that when we see you again – and we will soon – he will be with us all in spirit every night.”