Foo Fighters have a new drummer: the former percussionist for Nine Inch Nails. Nine Inch Nails have a new drummer: The former sticksman for Foo Fighters.
Foo Fighters fired its new drummer Josh Freese this year, just two years into his tenure behind one of the most coveted thrones in rock following the death of Taylor Hawkins in 2022. The band quickly announced it had a replacement ready in Ilan Rubin, the touring and session vet who most recently played in Nine Inch Nails. At 32, Rubin was the youngest musician inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2020, and spent 16 years with the band.
It’s unclear if Rubin is permanent addition to the band or a touring member, but the Foos have dates booked in Indonesia on Oct. 2, followed by Singapore, Japan and Mexico City. They recently released “Today’s Song,” its first new music since 2023, to celebrate the band’s 30th anniversary. “Over the years, we’ve had moments of unbridled joy, and moments of devastating heartbreak,” Grohl said in a note about the new song. “Moments of beautiful victory, and moments of painful defeat. We have mended broken bones and broken hearts. But we have followed this road together, with each other, for each other, no matter what. Because in life, you just can’t go it alone.”
Freese, however, did not look long for new work. Nine Inch Nails, who had a sudden vacancy behind the kit just a week before its extensive “Peel It Back” North American Tour began, announced they had re-hired Freese, who performed with the band from 2005-2008. The band posted a photo of Freese, captioned “Let’s f- go,” acknowledging the hire.
Freese also posted a note about returning to the NIN fold. “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 said. “NIN was a band that left me walking off stage every single night thinking, ‘That was incredible. We absolutely crushed it’ …That level of intensity, pride, and satisfaction after each show is something I’ve rarely experienced anywhere else. 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.”
This drummer swap must come as a happy relief for both acts with big tours impending. Now if Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham can truly re-connect, we’ll be in a golden age for peaceful rock reunions.
