In a surprise move from a big-name band, the Foo Fighters have dropped a new EP recorded at Austin's own Hotel Saint Cecilia — available for free.

Dave Grohl published a touching letter with the release of the album. As the Foo Fighter frontman reflects on the whirlwind of the past few years — which included the birth of the Sonic Highways concept in Austin among "mountains of Lone Star Beer and Stubb's BBQ" — he tells the story of how the Saint Cecilia EP came to be.

As the band rolled into Austin this fall for ACL Fest, Grohl was "struck with a rather impulsive idea: To record some songs on our days off to give to the world as a 'thank you' for the last two years."

Hotel Saint Cecilia offered to host the recording session in-house, and the South Congress haven was transformed into a studio for the Foo Fighters. "Margaritas were made, friends came to visit, the sun went down, and before long we started making enough noise to drive the neighbors to start drinking along with us," said Grohl of the experience.

When it was all said and done, five songs were recorded among the company of friends such as Gary Clark Jr., Ben Kweller, Danny Clinch, and the Perseveration Hall Jazz Band (some of whom make appearances on the album).

While props were given to many people who made Saint Cecilia possible, Grohl also waxed poetic about the hotel and its role in the album: "That place and those people made it possible for our band to take one big, final breath before the curtain closes. Thankfully, we have evidence of this in these songs that we're giving to you today. Thank you, Saint Cecilia. You made us feel right at home."

No, thank you, Dave Grohl.

You can download or stream the Saint Cecilia EP here. The album has been dedicated to the victims of the recent attacks in Paris.