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Foo Fighters and Nine Inch Nails have swapped drummers

By Chris Morgan | Last updated Jul 31, 2025 11:55 AM ET

A couple months ago, Foo Fighters parted way with journeyman drummer Josh Freese, who had stepped in for the band in the wake of the death of Taylor Hawkins. That left Foo Fighters needing a new drummer. They have finally landed on drummer Ilan Rubin, who has spent the last 16 years drumming for Nine Inch Nails. Trent Reznor's band kicks off a tour on August 6, so somebody needed to step in. Somebody has. Nine Inch Nails' new drummer is...Josh Freese.

Freese, who has played for like a million bands, was Nine Inch Nail's drummer from 2005 through 2008. On his Instagram, Freese wrote:

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.

His departure let Rubin step in, and Rubin's tenure was lengthy enough he got to be part of Nine Inch Nails' introduction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

You don't see drummer swaps too frequently in rock-and-roll, but we're here for it. Foo Fighters needed a drummer, and Dave Grohl managed to get Rubin to join him from Nine Inch Nails. That left Nine Inch Nails needing a drummer, so Trent Reznor turned to Foo Fighters' old drummer, who also happened to be his band's old drummer. It all worked out in the end.

(h/t Pitchfork)

Chris Morgan

Chris Morgan is a Detroit-based culture writer who has somehow managed to justify getting his BA in Film Studies. He has written about sports and entertainment across various internet platforms for years and is also the author of three books about '90s television.

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