When Josh Freese joined Foo Fighters in the wake of Taylor Hawkins’ tragic passing, it felt like a natural fit. A seasoned professional. A hired gun with pedigree. A drummer who had done the miles with everyone from Guns N’ Roses to Nine Inch Nails. Two years later, that chapter ended with a phone call, and no clear explanation.
Now, speaking with Modern Drummer, Freese has reflected on what he describes as a sudden and bewildering dismissal, while making it clear that he’s walking a tightrope in how much he can publicly share.
“The Foo Fighters are 'such a big, mainstream band that everything I say gets taken out of context, reposted, and blown out of proportion',” he explains. It’s a telling admission. In an era where every soundbite becomes a headline, caution is currency.
Still, the restraint barely masks the frustration. “I've got to be careful about what I say about it. But I've got a lot to say about it and I've been just trying to figure out how and when, to go about really articulating it.”
Last year, Freese revealed via Instagram that he had been told the band were going “to go in a different direction with their drummer.” No further reasoning was offered. His reaction at the time was measured but unmistakably stunned. “In my 40 years of drumming professionally, I’ve never been let go from a band, so while I’m not angry, I’m shocked and disappointed.”
In the new interview, he admits he has “a couple small theories” about why it happened, but says, “I can't really go into them right now.” What lingers most in his recollection is the abruptness. “One day it was nothing but laughs, we're on stage and Dave's looking at me every night like, 'You're killing it, dude!!!' And then it was just...over.”
That’s the line that lands hardest. No long goodbye. No visible friction. Just a switch flipped.
And yet, there’s no scorched-earth bitterness. Freese still speaks warmly about Dave Grohl, saying he admired him as both a drummer and a leader: “I loved having Dave as a bandleader.” He insists he enjoyed his time with the band and calls them “generous and good to me… until they weren't.”
That final clause hangs heavy.
Freese, ever the professional, has already moved forward, rejoining Nine Inch Nails after Ilan Rubin vacated the slot to step into the Foo Fighters vacancy. Meanwhile, Grohl’s band continues with festival appearances and a European tour on the horizon.
For now, the full story remains under wraps. But if Freese eventually decides to unpack it properly, don’t expect it to be a throwaway comment. It sounds like he’s been holding onto something substantial, and when he’s ready, it could change the conversation entirely.
