Foo Fighters swap drummers with Nine Inch Nails as Josh Freese and Ilan Rubin switch bands
Foo Fighters have lined up Nine Inch Nails’ touring member Ilan Rubin as their new drummer.
Simultaneously, Nine Inch Nails have confirmed former Foo Fighters drummer Josh Freese as his replacement.
Rubin has been a touring member of the Nine Inch Nails band since 2009 and became the youngest musician to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of the industrial rock group in 2020.
Although Foo Fighters are yet to officially confirm Rubin’s involvement, the news has been reported by The Hollywood Reporter and Variety. He had been drumming with Nine Inch Nails on their ongoing Peel It Back world tour before informing Trent Reznor of his decision to join the Foo’s.
Shortly after Rubin joining Foo Fighters was revealed, Nine Inch Nails took to social media to share an image of Freese in the studio, alongside the caption, “Let’s fucking GO.”
Freese, who was in Foo Fighters from 2023 until his dismissal earlier this year, previously drummed for Nine Inch Nails from 2005 to 2008. In a new statement, he said of rejoining the band: “Leaving Nine Inch Nails at the end of 2008 was one of the hardest decisions I’ve ever had to make. My wife and I were expecting our third child, and I knew I needed to step away from life on the road to be home with my family.”
He continued: “NIN was a band that left me walking off stage every single night thinking, ‘That was incredible. We absolutely crushed it.’ And it wasn’t just a feeling, it was a certainty. That level of intensity, pride, and satisfaction after each show is something I’ve rarely experienced anywhere else.”
Looking ahead to the future, he added, “Now, being back on tour with Trent and the crew-helping them do what they do best night after night-is something I’m incredibly excited about. To be part of that energy again feels amazing. If you get a chance to catch one of these shows over the next six weeks, I promise, they’re going to be absolutely unforgettable. Hope to see you out there.”
Earlier this month, Dave Grohl addressed Freese’s departure from the group for the first time. In a letter sent to fans in celebration of the band’s 30th anniversary alongside the new single ‘Today’s Song‘, he paid tribute to “the thunderous wizardry of Josh Freese” as well as thanking other former members for their contributions.
Freese announced his firing in May, revealing he received a call from the band who explained they wanted “to go in a different direction with their drummer”, which left him “a bit shocked and disappointed”.
Nine Inch Nails kick off the North American leg of their Peel It Back tour in Oakland, California, on August 6th. Meanwhile, Foo Fighters have a set of dates planned in Indonesia, Japan, Mexico, and Singapore later this year.
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