Former Guns N’ Roses drummer Frank Ferrer has spoken publicly for the first time about his departure from the band. He opened up about the circumstances of his exit in a recent interview published by Rolling Stone.
Ferrer addressed his exit with a calm and reflective tone. He made clear there was no dramatic falling out and that he holds no bitterness toward the band or its members.
“Everything comes to an end. Everything just comes to an end. And I’ve said this before, I knew this thing wasn’t gonna be forever,” Ferrer said. “I was just so happy I got to do it when I got to do it, and now I’m doing other stuff. It’s really that simple.”
When asked whether there was any drama surrounding the moment he was informed of the band’s decision, Ferrer was straightforward.
“Nothing dramatic, no. We didn’t get into a fight or anything like that. No. I don’t have a lot of expectations. I don’t go through life thinking that things are a certain way. I kinda just take ’em as they are,” he said. “I don’t know if that’s because I grew up poor in New York City. If you have expectations, you have disappointments, and I try not to have disappointments. Sometimes I miss it and sometimes I don’t, just like with anything in life. Just because I’m not playing with them anymore doesn’t mean that I don’t have all those people in my life.”
Ferrer also expressed gratitude toward the band’s fan base, who embraced him as a full member of the group throughout his tenure.
“That’s how it was yesterday and this is how it is today, period,” he continued. “I’m grateful for the love that the fan base has given me, how they accepted me and made me feel like I was part of the legacy. A big thank you to the people that supported the band and that viewed me as a band member. I think that’s kinda cool.”
On the subject of his replacement, new Guns N’ Roses drummer Isaac Carpenter, Ferrer was equally measured and complimentary.
“I wouldn’t say it’s anything emotionally. It’s Guns N’ Roses, bro. You know what I’m saying? It’s just this machine that exists whether I’m in it or not,” Ferrer said. “And like I said before, sometimes I miss it, sometimes I don’t, but always grateful that I got to do it. I still keep in touch with some of those guys, for sure. I’ve seen clips of Isaac playing with him. And he’s a great drummer. He’s cool, and him and Duff [McKagan, bassist] lock in, and they seem like they’re happy playing together, so it’s cool.”
Ferrer’s comments mark his first extended public remarks since parting ways with Guns N’ Roses after nearly two decades with the band.
To fully appreciate the weight of Ferrer’s words, it helps to understand just how significant his run with Guns N’ Roses truly was — and how the transition unfolded behind the scenes before the public was ever told.
Ferrer joined Guns N’ Roses in June 2006 and served as the band’s drummer for 19 years. That run made him the longest-tenured drummer in the group’s history, surpassing the combined tenures of both original drummer Steven Adler and his successor Matt Sorum — a remarkable milestone for a band whose lineup changes have historically been turbulent and widely scrutinized.
His final performance with the band took place on November 5, 2023, in Mexico. The official announcement of his departure did not come until March 2025, when Guns N’ Roses confirmed the split was amicable and simultaneously named Isaac Carpenter as his replacement. The gap between his last show and the public announcement meant Ferrer spent well over a year in a kind of quiet limbo before the news became official.
Carpenter co-founded the band LOUDERMILK and was previously signed to Rick Rubin’s American label. He began performing with Guns N’ Roses shortly after the announcement was made. The transition appears to have been smooth, with Ferrer himself noting the chemistry between Carpenter and bassist Duff McKagan.
Since parting ways with Guns N’ Roses, Ferrer has remained active in the music world. He is currently playing with two bands — Slax and One Night Only — signaling that his post-GNR chapter is already well underway. For a musician who spent nearly two decades as part of one of rock’s most iconic machines, the pivot appears to be as grounded and undramatic as the man himself.
