Maps of Music

But Here We Are (2023)

Where the lyrics of But Here We Are take you, and where it was really made.

The band lost its drummer, and the frontman played every drum track on the album himself.

Key places

Recorded at 606 West in Los Angeles (2023)

Recording site Motown Recording Studios — The source lists 606 West in Los Angeles as the studio for this album. No street address is given, so the point sits at the city center. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Album story

Overview

• But Here We Are: eleventh studio album by American rock band Foo Fighters
• Released June 2, 2023
• Produced by Greg Kurstin and the band itself
• First studio album since drummer Taylor Hawkins died on March 25, 2022
• Dave Grohl performed and recorded all drum tracks in Hawkins' absence
• Dedicated to Hawkins and Grohl's mother, Virginia, who died in August 2022
• Five singles released ahead of the album: "Rescued", "Under You", "Show Me How", "The Teacher", "The Glass"
• Josh Freese announced as new drummer for the Everything or Nothing at All Tour supporting the album

Background

• Grohl was already planning a follow-up to Medicine at Midnight (2021) as early as mid-2021
• He noted each album is a response to the prior one and considered writing "an insane prog-rock record"
• Plans were abruptly cancelled after Hawkins died unexpectedly in March 2022
• The band cancelled everything planned for the rest of 2022 and went largely quiet
• A December 2022 statement confirmed Foo Fighters would continue as "going to be a different band going forward"
• In February 2023, radio DJ Chris Moyles on Radio X mentioned a new album; Moyles later apologized
• The album was officially announced on April 19, 2023, alongside its title But Here We Are
• Grohl's drumming credit on new material marked his first since the 2006 single "Cold Day in the Sun"

Recording

• Third collaboration with producer Greg Kurstin, after Medicine at Midnight (2021) and Concrete and Gold (2017)
• The band described the sound as channeling the naivete of their 1995 debut album, informed by decades of maturity
• Lyrics explore Grohl coming to terms with Hawkins' death and his mother's death
• "Under You", the second single, has been described as melodic punk
• The recording studio is listed as 606 West in Los Angeles

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Tracklist

Sources: musicbrainz.org

Artist

Formation

• Formed in Seattle in 1994 as a one-man project by former Nirvana drummer Dave Grohl.
• Grohl recorded the debut album mostly alone in six days after Nirvana disbanded.
• Recruited bassist Nate Mendel and drummer William Goldsmith of Sunny Day Real Estate, and guitarist Pat Smear.
• The band made its first public performance in February 1995, five months before the debut album's release.

Members

• Current members: Dave Grohl (vocals, guitar), Nate Mendel (bass), Pat Smear and Chris Shiflett (guitars), Rami Jaffee (keyboards), Ilan Rubin (drums).
• Taylor Hawkins died in March 2022; Josh Freese served as drummer from 2023 to 2025 and Rubin from 2025 onward.

Career

• Released twelve studio albums, the twelfth, Your Favorite Toy, in April 2026.
• Won 15 Grammy Awards, including Best Rock Album five times.
• Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2021, their first year of eligibility.

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Reception

At release

• Metacritic: average score 86 out of 100, "universal acclaim", based on 22 reviews
• Spin: "one of the strongest albums of the band's career"
• Kerrang!: praised the emotional content and the lyrical and musical qualities
• Clash (Emma Harrison): described it as ambitious, poignant, and vivid
• Rolling Stone (Maura Johnston): said it "depicts grief in immediate terms" and described it as one of their best records ever
• Alternative Press: included it in an unranked top 25 albums of 2023 to date list

Records

• UK Albums Chart: debuted at number 1 with 44,500 chart units, Foo Fighters' sixth UK number 1 album
• Topped the Billboard Top Alternative Albums and Top Hard Rock Albums charts
• Billboard 200: debuted at number 8, moving 62,000 equivalent album units
• "Rescued" topped the Hot Hard Rock Songs chart
• Numerous critics and publications listed the album in year-end best albums of 2023 rankings

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Trivia

• Grohl performed and recorded the entirety of the album's drum tracks in Hawkins' absence.
• Chris Moyles apologized for speaking out of turn about the album but refused to clarify his comments.
• "Show Me How" features Grohl harmonizing with his daughter Violet.
• Freese made his live concert debut on May 24, 2023, where the band debuted the album's title track.
• The album is dedicated to both Hawkins and Grohl's mother, Virginia.

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Maps of Ages ↗ (mapsofages.com)

Privacy · Contact