A few months ago, Josh Freese lost his job. Freese, a legendary freelance drummer with a resume that stretches back decades, joined Foo Fighters in 2023, replacing the late Taylor Hawkins. In May, Freese announced that he'd been fired from the band. Foo Fighters hired drummer Ilan Rubin away from Nine Inch Nails. Freese landed on his feet. NIN, in between legs in a global arena tour, simply hired Josh Freese, pulling off a full drummer switch. I just saw Freese play with NIN, and I'll probably have more to say about that later today, but that man is not human. Imagine firing that guy. Now, Freese has addressed the Foo Fighters situation for the first time since he got kicked out of the band.
Today, Josh Freese is the subject of a New York Times profile from writer Bob Mehr. The article focuses on Freese's long, varied resume, but it also includes some discussion of his time in Foo Fighters. He notes that the position in the band was a difficult one: "I’m coming in as Dave Grohl’s drummer, and the guy that’s supposed to save the day after the beloved Taylor Hawkins died." As for why he was dismissed, Freese says, "Looking back, it was probably more an issue with their management." He adds, "It wasn’t music that I really resonated with."
Josh Freese took over the Nine Inch Nails spot, a position that he previously held from 2005 to 2008, after only rehearsing with the band for a day. Regarding the drummer-switch situation, Freese says, "I couldn’t believe it. But Ilan's a phenomenal drummer, a phenomenal musician. He’ll be perfect for the gig." Read the profile here.
