It’s a game of high-profile musical chairs in the rock world, with Foo Fighters reportedly bringing in Ilan Rubin just as Nine Inch Nails welcome back Josh Freese.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Rubin told Trent Reznor last week he’d “accepted a job with another band,” wrapping up a 16-year stint with Nine Inch Nails that included their Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction and endless touring. That “other band” is almost certainly Foo Fighters, who quietly parted ways with Freese in May after two years on the throne.
Neither band has issued an official statement, but NIN’s Instagram all but confirmed the move with a Story showing Freese back in the fold, captioned: “Let’s fucking go.”
Freese share the post to his own Instagram, with a lengthier post outlining his reasons for leaving the band in the first place.
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Freese’s return to Nine Inch Nails isn’t a complete surprise. He served as the band’s touring drummer from 2005 to 2008 and played on 2007’s Year Zero and 2008’s The Slip. He left in late 2008 to be more present for his growing family.
Fast forward 16 years, and the swap is almost too tidy: Rubin exits NIN, Freese returns, and Foo Fighters head into their next chapter with yet another drumming powerhouse. Whether Rubin is in for the long haul or just the next tour leg remains unclear, as Foo Fighters have yet to publicly acknowledge the line-up change.
Freese joined the Foos in 2023 following the death of longtime drummer Taylor Hawkins. His unexpected exit earlier this year came without much detail. “I’ve never been let go from a band,” he said in a May statement. “So while I’m not angry — just a bit shocked and disappointed… I’m fine.”
Rubin, who’s also drummed for Paramore, Angels & Airwaves and Danny Elfman, joined NIN in 2009 and stayed for the long haul. His addition to Foo Fighters marks a new chapter for both bands as they hit the road: Nine Inch Nails kick off their North American tour on August 6th in Oakland, and Foo Fighters will tour Asia in October.
The Foos recently dropped “Today’s Song”, their first track since Freese’s departure, thanking him for his “thunderous wizardry” and saying their story would be incomplete without his contribution. Their latest album, But Here We Are, landed in 2023 and followed Medicine at Midnight, which won Best Rock Album at the Grammys just weeks after Hawkins’ passing.
