In spring 2025 Foo Fighters announced they would continue without drummer Josh Freese after a period of internal discussion and a band-wide decision. Frontman Dave Grohl told Apple Music 1 that the choice was made collectively during a break in 2024 and communicated to Freese directly; no single reason beyond a new direction was presented. Freese posted on Instagram that he learned of the decision by phone and that he appreciated the last two years with the band. A few months later Ilan Rubin was revealed as the incoming drummer while Freese returned to work with Nine Inch Nails.
Key Takeaways
- Announcement timing: The band made the decision public in spring 2025 after deliberations during a 2024 hiatus.
- Band process: Dave Grohl says the decision was collective — all members contacted Freese to say they would “move on” with a different drummer.
- Freese tenure: Josh Freese began playing with Foo Fighters in 2022 as a guest for Taylor Hawkins tribute shows and became a permanent member thereafter.
- Successor named: In mid-2025 Ilan Rubin, long associated with Nine Inch Nails, was announced as the Foo Fighters’ new drummer.
- Freese response: He said on Instagram he received the call, was given no detailed reason, and expressed support for the band’s choice.
- Personal fit: Freese later told The New York Times (Aug 2025) he did not feel the material always resonated with him and described intense pressure following Hawkins’ death.
- Legacy context: Taylor Hawkins died at age 50 in Bogota; his passing remains central to the band’s recent decisions and identity.
- Touring: Foo Fighters are scheduled to begin a stadium tour on August 4, 2025, in Toronto with the new lineup.
Background
Josh Freese first stepped into the Foo Fighters circle in 2022 when several guest drummers were invited to perform tribute concerts honoring Taylor Hawkins, the band’s longtime drummer who died in 2022. Those tribute shows led to Freese joining the group as a permanent drummer for subsequent performances and studio work. In 2024 the band paused touring for roughly six to seven months, a period Grohl says they used to reassess musical direction and personnel needs. The pause allowed the members to talk candidly about the band’s future and what sound and energy they wanted to pursue.
The decision to change drummers cannot be separated from the shadow of Hawkins’ death. Hawkins had been with the Foo Fighters for 25 years, both as a musical anchor and an emotional center; his death in Bogota at age 50 was later attributed to a drug overdose. Any new drummer faced the dual challenge of honoring Hawkins’ legacy and fitting into a band still processing grief. Multiple drummers worked with Foo Fighters in the immediate aftermath, reflecting both the logistical need to fulfill bookings and the emotional complexity of replacing a beloved bandmate.
Main Event
Grohl told Apple Music 1 that during the 2024 break the band debated a new course and, after months of discussion, collectively decided to seek a different drummer. He described a band-wide call to Freese in which they thanked him for his work and informed him of their decision to move in another direction. Freese later posted an Instagram statement saying the band called him Monday night to say they had chosen a different drummer and that no reason was provided; he added he enjoyed the past two years and supported the band’s choice.
Shortly after the decision became public, the Foo Fighters announced Ilan Rubin, known for his longtime role with Nine Inch Nails, would join the group. Rubin’s appointment was framed as a return to a musician with a lengthy relationship to NIN, while Freese resumed work with Nine Inch Nails, a band he had toured with from 2005 to 2008. Grohl emphasized that the change “didn’t happen overnight,” signaling a deliberative process rather than an abrupt dismissal.
Freese has been candid about the emotional difficulty of stepping into Hawkins’ role. In an August 2025 interview with The New York Times he said he sometimes felt misaligned with the band’s material and described pressure to perform as “firing on all cylinders” given the circumstances. Grohl reiterated that Hawkins’ presence is felt in everything the band does, and that continuing after the loss required balancing reverence for Hawkins with the need to move forward creatively and logistically.
Analysis & Implications
The band’s handling of the lineup change highlights tensions that often follow the death of a central member: loyalty to legacy versus the pragmatic demands of sustaining a major touring act. For Foo Fighters, the choice to change drummers after a pause suggests they prioritized a long-term musical direction over short-term continuity. That approach carries both artistic and commercial consequences: a new drummer can shift the band’s live dynamics and influence fan reception during a high-profile stadium tour scheduled to begin August 4, 2025.
From a personnel perspective, Grohl’s emphasis that the call was collective aims to distribute responsibility and reduce the appearance of unilateral action. Publicly framing the change as a mutual decision can help preserve relationships among musicians and with fans, but it does not eliminate the personal impact on Freese, who publicly characterized the exchange as terse and without detailed explanation. How fans perceive the transition may hinge on early performances with Rubin and the band’s messaging around Hawkins’ legacy.
Economically, the band faces the challenge of selling a new lineup to stadium audiences while maintaining the emotional core that attracted fans for decades. The August tour will serve as an early barometer of acceptance; ticket sales, reviews, and social media reaction in the weeks after the opening dates will provide measurable indicators. Internationally, the band’s reputation and commitments make lineup stability important for festival bookings and future album cycles.
Comparison & Data
| Year | Drummer | Role/Note |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Josh Freese | Guest drummer for Taylor Hawkins tribute shows; later became permanent |
| 2022 (event) | Taylor Hawkins | Died at age 50 in Bogota; death ruled overdose |
| 2024 | Band hiatus | 6–7 month break used to reassess direction |
| Spring 2025 | Josh Freese → Ilan Rubin | Freese told by band they would “move on”; Rubin announced as new drummer |
The table summarizes the timeline and role changes over recent years. The 2024 hiatus appears to be the inflection point: months of internal conversations produced the 2025 lineup change rather than a swift, single-event decision. The band’s upcoming stadium tour beginning August 4, 2025, will test the musical chemistry with Ilan Rubin and the audience’s willingness to embrace the revised lineup.
Reactions & Quotes
Band leadership framed the change as a collective decision and emphasized respect for Freese’s contributions. Context for each comment is summarized below.
“We called, as a band, all of us called… ‘Hey man, that was awesome… but we are going to move on.'”
Dave Grohl, interview with Apple Music 1 (reported by NME)
This quote was given in an interview in which Grohl described the process as collaborative; he stressed that the conversation took place after extended internal discussion during a break in 2024.
“The Foo Fighters called me Monday night to let me know they’ve decided ‘to go in a different direction with their drummer.’ No reason was given.”
Josh Freese, Instagram statement
Freese’s public comment framed the call as the primary notification method and emphasized that the band did not provide a detailed rationale in that initial conversation. He also expressed gratitude for his time with the group.
“It wasn’t music that I really resonated with… I had to be firing on all cylinders all the time.”
Josh Freese, The New York Times (Aug 2025)
In the later New York Times interview Freese spoke more openly about the emotional and musical pressures he experienced, noting a mismatch with some material and the burden of stepping into a role left by Hawkins.
Unconfirmed
- Specific internal disagreements: Reports of detailed artistic disputes or personality conflicts inside the band have not been independently verified.
- Alternative candidates: Public reporting has not confirmed which other drummers, if any, were considered before Ilan Rubin was chosen.
Bottom Line
The Foo Fighters’ decision to part ways with Josh Freese in spring 2025 emerged from months of internal discussion during a 2024 hiatus and was communicated as a collective band choice. Freese accepted the news publicly, while later interviews revealed he experienced pressure and some musical mismatch in the role following Taylor Hawkins’ death. Ilan Rubin’s arrival positions the band to move forward musically, but the August 4, 2025 stadium tour will be a key test of both artistic chemistry and fan reception.
For observers, the episode is a reminder of how bands navigate grief, legacy and the business realities of large-scale touring. The Foo Fighters have framed the change as part of a deliberate new direction; measurable indicators—ticket sales, critical reviews and early performance clips—will determine whether the move achieves the balance the band says it seeks.
Sources
- Ultimate Classic Rock (music news report)
- NME (music press reporting on Grohl interview via Apple Music 1)
- The New York Times (major newspaper; Freese interview, Aug 2025)