“This didn’t happen overnight”
This week, Foo Fighters finally confirmed their upcoming album Your Favorite Toy. The band’s 12th studio album is slated for arrival on April 24 Roswell Records/RCA Records. This summer, the band is embarking on their massive Take Cover World Tour, which includes stops across Europe and the UK, North America, Australia and New Zealand. Joining them on the road is new drummer Ilan Rubin, who is stepping behind the kit for Josh Freese. Foo Fighters parted ways with Freese
After announcing their first show of 2025, Foo Fighters shook up their lineup in a big way. The group parted ways with drummer Josh Freese last May. Freese took over for the late Taylor Hawkins in May 0f 2023. The news was first revealed by Freese himself on his official social media.
“The Foo Fighters called me Monday night to let me know that they’ve decided to go in a “different direction with their drummer.” No reason was given. Regardless, I enjoyed the past two years with them, both on and off stage, and I support whatever they feel is best for the band. In my 40 years of professional drumming, I’ve never been let go from a band, so while I’m not angry – just a bit disappointed. But as most of you know I’ve always bounced between bands, so I’m fine. Stay tuned for my “Top 10 Possible Reasons Josh Got Booted from the Foo Fighters” list.
Now, nearly a year later, Dave Grohl has finally shed some light on how it all went down from the band’s perspective.
“This didn’t happen overnight, it was six or seven months,” Grohl said in an interview with Zane Lowe on the Apple Music 1 Podcast. “In those six or seven months, we, as a band, talked about what to do next and new direction. We thought, ‘Ok, let’s call Josh and let him know that we’re gonna move on with a different drummer.’ All of us called, it wasn’t just me. We called Josh, and we were like, ‘Hey man, that was awesome, that was such a blast, thank you so much, but we’re gonna move on and find another drummer.'”
Dave also gave a reason as to why the band decide to move on from Josh.
“I think Josh said it best [in a New York Times interview] when he was, like, he didn’t feel like our music really resonated with him. And that’s really important [for us]. We found that now with [new drummer] Ilan [Rubin], and it’s, like, we feel like a band again.”
Previously, Ilan Rubin had served as the drummer for Nine Inch Nails since 2009. After Ilan’s departure, Josh Freese subsequently (and ironically) rejoined Nine Inch Nails on the fly for their current North American leg of their Peel It Back World Tour that launched back on August 6 in Oakland, California. Freese had previously been a member of NIN, touring with the group from 2005 to 2008. During that stretch, he recorded drums on the band’s albums Year Zero (2007) and The Slip (2008).