Artist Spotlight: Foo Fighters

Formed in 1995 by former Nirvana drummer David Grohl, Foo Fighters was originally a one-man band. Grohl recorded drums, bass, guitar, and vocals on a cassette including songs he wrote while still in Nirvana. He wanted to remain anonymous, so released the tape under the name "foo fighters," which was a code name for UFO's during WWII. This was all after he reportedly turned down an opportunity to become the permanent drummer for Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers.

After this initial cassette was released, Grohl began to recruit members to the band. Bass player Nate Mendel and drummer William Goldsmith were both added from the then defunct band Sunny Day Real Estate. Former Nirvana touring guitarist Pat Smear was also added to the band now permanently called "Foo Fighters."

On June 5th, 1995, Foo Fighters released their debut eponymous album. Even though the band had a full lineup, Grohl recorded all instruments and vocals on the album. The first single released from the album was the song "This is a Call."

In 1996, the band began working on a new album after almost a year of touring. David Grohl again wrote all the songs, but allowed the rest of the band to collaborate on the instruments' parts.  The band had recordedan initial mix tape and were in L.A. finishing it up. Reportedly, Grohl made the band re-record the entire thing after being dissatisfied with their performances. Grohl also took it upon himself to re-record the drums himself, to the obvious spite of drummer William Goldsmith. Goldsmith was replaced with Alanis Morisette's drummer Taylor Hawkins, and the band's second album The Colour and the Shape was released with lead singles "Everlong" and "My Hero."

By 2001, the band had released their third album There is Nothing Left to Loseand hired guitarist Chris Shiflett as a replacement to departed member Franz Stahl. The album was a semi-hit with single "Learn to Fly" being the most recognizable from the bunch. By the end of the year, the Foo Fighters were recording their fourth album One by One. Allegedly, the band grew apart at this time and were closing to calling it quits. They had recorded songs for the album, but did not like the way they sounded and considered scrapping them. The band eventually solved their differences and re-recorded the entire album before its release.

In 2005, the band may have been at the height of their popularity, headlining shows with Weezer. They had released their 5th album In Your Honor which was a two-disc half rock/half acoustic piece. The singles from the album included rock song "No Way Back" and acoustic song "Cold Day in the Sun."

In 2007, the band released its sixth album Echoes, Silence, Patience, & Grace.It included huge hits "The Pretender" and "Let it Die" among others. The album peaked at #3 on the U.S. billboards, but #1 on the Canadian, UK, Australian, and New Zealand charts. From late 2008 to early 2011, the band went on a touring hiatus to work on new material, and in the mean time released a greatest hits album.

In Spring of 2011, the band released their latest album Wasting Light. According to Grohl, the album was recorded using full analog equipment, presumably to give the album a warm and classic sound. The album debuted at #1 in the U.S. and produced the lead single "Rope."

The Foo Fighters will be playing at HSBC Arena Friday, September 25th. Make sure you listen to Jack this Wednesday starting at 9 A.M.  for a chance every hour to win tickets as part of Jack's Ticket Thingy.

[Wiki]