Hayley Williams Shares How Foo Fighters Influenced Paramore

Hayley Williams opened up about how the Foo Fighters and late drummer Taylor Hawkins influenced Paramore in the latest episode of her new podcast Everything Is Emo. 

"This is a really important band to everyone, the whole world,” she said of Foo Fighters. “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.” Williams then revealed that Paramore's drummer Zac Farro was gifted a drum bit that previously belonged to 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’.” 

“I think about Taylor Hawkins a lot, when I think about Zac’s playing,” she continued. “I don’t want to center 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 he did for Dave Grohl. I listen to his album There Is 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.”