"The Colour and the Shape" was released on May 20, 1997, preceded the month before by lead single "Monkey Wrench". The promotional campaign emphasized the band's group identity as well as each band member's individual personality. This strategy contrasted with the marketing approach for the prior album, which had centered Grohl at a time before Mendel and Smear felt comfortable being marketed as personalities. Each member gave interviews with press discussing their interests, with guitarist Pat Smear talking to guitar and fashion magazines. Just as recording was finished and Taylor Hawkins was hired as the new drummer (he was the former touring drummer for Alanis Morissette's "Jagged Little Pill" in 1995), Smear expressed his own plans to leave the band, claiming he was exhausted and not motivated to go through with another extended tour. This information was not yet highly publicized, and spokespeople for the band denied that the rumors of Smear's impending departure were true. The promotional tour started in May 1997.