Foo Fighters honor Paris victims with free EP

The Foo Fighters made an EP (extended play) called "Saint Cecilia" available for download free of charge on Monday. The American band's frontman Dave Grohl said that the EP had originally been intended as "a celebration of life and music" to mark the end of the group's global tour but had come to embody a new meaning in the wake of the Paris attacks:

"Now, there is a new, hopeful intention that, even in the smallest way, perhaps these songs can bring a little light into this sometimes dark world," Grohl wrote in a letter to announce the EP.

Grohl, who had previously been the drummer of the grunge band Nirvana during the late 1980s and early 1990s, encouraged fans to make donations for survivors and families of the Paris victims instead of paying for the five-track album, referring them to a link on the band's website.

Change of plans

Foo Fighters had originally planned to play in Paris last week on one of the last dates of a global tour.

But the band decided to end its European tour early following the attacks in the French capital that included a massacre of 89 people at a concert of Eagles of Death Metal - a California rock band that has collaborated with Grohl.

"In light of this senseless violence, the closing of borders, and international mourning, we can't continue right now," a Foo Fighters' statement read in the wake of the attacks, as several music acts canceled their gigs in Europe. The Foo Fighters had four remaining shows on the tour.

"To all who were affected by the atrocities in Paris, loved ones and friends, our hearts go out to you and your families. We will return and celebrate life and love with you once again someday with our music. As it should be done," Grohl wrote in his latest message.

Album recorded at renowned Austin hotel

Foo Fighters had been hinting at the release of a new album for weeks, putting a countdown clock on the band's website with no further explanation.

Recorded in a makeshift studio at the Saint Cecilia hotel in Austin, Texas, the namesake EP was recorded during an impromptu session while the band was in town to headline Austin City Limits festival last month.

ss/msh (AFP)