Why Shane Hawkins Refused to Let Chevy Metal Die

When Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins passed away at the age of 50 on March 25, 2022, ahead of a scheduled show at the Estereo Picnic festival in Bogota, Colombia, his surviving bandmates faced difficult decisions. While the Foo Fighters eventually continued with other drummers, Chevy Metal—Hawkins’ classic rock covers band—seemed destined to end.

Guitarist Brent Woods and bassist Wiley Hodgden initially agreed that the project could not go on without their friend behind the kit. That stance changed when Hawkins’ teenage son, Shane, stepped forward.

‘Why Not Keep Something Going?’

“Wiley and I were in agreement, like, it’s done,” Woods told the Los Angeles Times. “Shane was the one that said, ‘I want to do Chevy’.”

Shane Hawkins, now 19, viewed keeping the band active as a direct connection to his childhood and a tribute to his father. “It was a part of my childhood and it’s like, my dad was gone and these people that I’ve watched my whole childhood, they’re still there,” he explained. “Why not keep something going? And it’s just honoring my dad, you know?”

Growing up around the project left a lasting impression on the young drummer. “I’d sit behind my dad and watch him play and watch people just go crazy. And as a kid, you think that’s the coolest thing in the world, because it is. It’s the best feeling.”

Expanding the Setlist

With Hawkins junior powering the trio behind the drum kit, Chevy Metal has expanded its classic template. The group has incorporated songs by US hardcore punk acts including Bad Brains, Black Flag, Fear, and the Germs—the former band of Foo Fighters guitarist Pat Smear.

Despite the lineup shift, the band maintains its roots, continuing to practice in Taylor Hawkins’ home studio and man cave. According to the Los Angeles Times, the trio also aims to release archive recordings featuring Taylor Hawkins alongside new material recorded with Shane.