Legendary Drummer Josh Freese Talks Foo Fighters Dismissal, Says He Didn’t Gel With Their Music
Josh Freese has been a masterful and highly coveted drummer for most of his life, playing since he was 7 years old. He was recently let go as the Foo Fighters’ drummer and spoke about it in a newly released interview.
Some of the bands that Freese has played for include Guns N’ Roses, Devo, Nine Inch Nails, Weezer, and The Replacements. He’s also been a studio drummer for acts like Katy Perry, Lana Del Rey, Bruce Springsteen, and Sting.
These days, Freese’s schedule has opened up a little bit since being fired by Foo Fighters’ frontman, Dave Grohl, in May after joining the band less than two years ago. The sought-after drummer said that being part of Foo came with added pressure, despite knowing Grohl since he was 17 years old.
Freese Spoke About The Challenges Of Being In Foo Fighters
Foo Fighters’ drummer Taylor Hawkins died in 2022 after being with the band since the late ’90s, and Freese admitted that it was hard joining after that.
“I’m coming in as Dave Grohl’s drummer, and the guy that’s supposed to save the day after the beloved Taylor Hawkins died,” Freese told The New York Times. “Like I had to be firing on all cylinders all the time.”
Still, Freese was able to get a lot of creative fulfillment during his time with the band, so he was shocked at being let go. It’s his theory that an issue with the Foo Fighters’ management had more to do with the firing than anything else.
There was another issue on top of that, which had to do with the Foo Fighters’ music. “It wasn’t music that I really resonated with,” Freese explained.
Rejoining Nine Inch Nails
The 52-year-old was a part of Ninch Inch Nails from 2005 to 2008, and its frontman Trent Reznor asked him to rejoin the band earlier this month. It happened after Ninch Inch drummer Ilan Rubin was hired by the Foo Fighters — a gig that Freese believes he’s perfect for.
So far, Freese has taken the Foo Fighters firing in stride, which was evident when he posted about it on Instagram and listed the top 10 reasons it happened. Whistling “My Hero” for a whole week on tour or refusing to grow a beard are among the funniest.
Meanwhile, Grohl referred to Freese’s drumming as “thunderous” and “wizardry” in a letter he wrote to fans after the Foos dropped their single, “Today’s Song,” in July.
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