Foo Fighters have found their new drummer after the shock firing of Josh Freese.
The switch-up marks a new chapter in the Foo Fighters’ ongoing evolution. The new band member succeeds Freese, 52, who joined the iconic group in 2023, following the death of longtime drummer Taylor Hawkins in 2022.
Freese’s departure, quietly announced in May, left fans wondering who could possibly carry the torch and join the band comprised of Dave Grohl, Nate Mendel, Pat Smear, Chris Shiflett, and Rami Jaffee.
Ilan Rubin, best known for his tenure with Nine Inch Nails and Angels & Airwaves, is stepping behind the kit for the legendary rock band, sources confirm to The Hollywood Reporter.
Having joined Nine Inch Nails as their touring drummer in 2009 at just 21, Rubin became the youngest-ever inductee into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame when the band was honored in 2020.
In addition to his longstanding work with Trent Reznor and co., Rubin also performs with Angels & Airwaves and has collaborated with film composer Danny Elfman. He is currently expecting his second child.
It’s not yet clear whether Rubin is joining the Foo Fighters as a permanent member or in a touring capacity.
A source close to the matter says Rubin had committed to Nine Inch Nails through the end of 2025, but informed Reznor last week that he had ‘accepted a job with another band.’
Meanwhile, Freese is headed back to familiar territory as Nine Inch Nails confirmed his return as their live drummer — a role he held from 2005 to 2008 before stepping away. The band teased the news with a celebratory Instagram story featuring Freese and the caption: ‘let’s f***** go.’
Nine Inch Nails is set to begin the North American leg of its Peel It Back arena tour on August 6 in Oakland, California.
The group, which wrapped a sold-out European run earlier this summer, has also been tapped to compose the score for Tron: Ares – the first time Nine Inch Nails, rather than just Reznor and longtime collaborator Atticus Ross, will be credited on a film soundtrack.
For Freese, the departure from Foo Fighters came as a surprise. In a May Instagram post, he said the band ‘decided to go in a different direction with their drummer,’ adding, ‘I’m not angry — just a bit shocked and disappointed.’
Later, Freese addressed the possible reasons for his firing on Instagram, listing ten hilarious causes.
Among the imagined offenses? ‘Once whistled ‘My Hero’ for a week solid on tour,’ ‘Never even once tried growing a beard,’ and the confession that he could only name ‘one Fugazi song.’ (A cardinal sin, apparently, given Dave Grohl’s well-documented reverence for the iconic D.C. punk band.)
Frontman Dave Grohl publicly thanked Freese for his contributions in a fan letter earlier this month, writing that without ‘the thunderous wizardry of Josh Freese, this story would be incomplete.’
Rubin will make his debut with the Foo Fighters when the band kicks off their long-awaited international tour this fall, starting October 2 in Jakarta, Indonesia.
Additional dates include Singapore, Tokyo, Osaka, and a stop in Mexico City on November 14.
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