Dave Grohl formed Foo Fighters as a solo project in 1994.
After Nirvana ended following Kurt Cobain’s death in April 1994, Grohl withdrew from public life and began recording his own songs. In October 1994, he entered Robert Lang Studios near Seattle and recorded a 15-track demo, performing nearly every instrument himself. The recordings became the foundation of the Foo Fighters project.
Grohl initially kept his identity out of the project’s public presentation, using the name Foo Fighters and releasing the self-titled album in 1995. He did not want the work to be understood simply as the start of a solo career, so he recruited Nate Mendel, William Goldsmith, and Pat Smear to form a touring band.
That distinction explains why 1994 is the accepted answer even though the first Foo Fighters album arrived in 1995 and the band’s first public performance took place in February 1995. Foo Fighters gradually evolved from Grohl’s private studio project into a permanent rock band, with Grohl becoming its singer, guitarist, and principal songwriter.