New Foo Fighters drummer Ilan Rubin recently addressed the so-called “drummer swap” between Foo Fighters and Nine Inch Nails. He clarified the circumstances that led to his departure from Nine Inch Nails and Josh Freese’s subsequent hiring by the band. His comments were shared in an interview with Go With Elmo.
Rubin explained that the situation was far more straightforward than media reports suggested. He emphasized that there was no coordinated exchange between the two bands.
“There is no story, honestly. I think it’s just a very logical thing. There was nothing behind it. And it’s very logical in the sense that Josh played with Nails from, I wanna say ’05 to the end of ’08. I auditioned in ’08, took over the next shows, I think it was February of ’09, and was with the band up until last summer. The last tour I did was a European tour of the ‘Peel It Back’ cycle,” Rubin said.
He detailed how his transition to Foo Fighters came about naturally due to timing and availability.
“And as I said earlier, when I was gotten in touch with, Dave Grohl and management, everyone was very well aware that I had a commitment up to this point, and was I doing anything afterwards? And at the time there was nothing I knew about. The tour that Nine Inch Nails had just triumphantly wrapped up was not on the books. So as far as I knew, my contract ended on a date. After that, it was, what am I doing next? And when this happened and the opportunity presented itself and it was just an obvious great fit and a great thing for me,” he continued.
Rubin clarified the sequence of events that led to both drummer changes.
“I guess I need to take a step back, is that at some point in time, for whatever reason, Josh was no longer with Foo Fighters. And that was the first thing. So it’s not like Josh was no longer with the band and they had already been talking. None of that was a thing. They dealt with whatever they dealt with. They needed a drummer,” he explained.
The drummer emphasized that Nine Inch Nails’ decision to rehire Josh Freese was purely practical.
“And whenever it was getting a little too close for comfort in terms of shows that were coming up in a few months, I was gotten in touch with. As a result of me taking that opportunity, obviously Nine Inch Nails needed a drummer. And I would imagine that at this point in time, Trent [Reznor, Nine Inch Nails leader] doesn’t wanna spend however many weeks at a rehearsal studio playing the same songs over and over and over again to break in a new drummer. And aside from that, Josh has already done it before, so it was very logical on that,” Rubin said.
He concluded by dismissing the notion of a coordinated swap between the bands.
“I mean, why else would you go find somebody else? And going back to what we were talking about earlier, in terms of wanting to feel comfortable, Trent wouldn’t have to think about anything ’cause he knows that Josh can do it and has done it. So I don’t think there’s anything particularly surprising there. But when the news leaked, ’cause it did leak, it was kind of billed as this drummer swap.”
“Now that would imply that Trent and Dave were, like, ‘Hey, you know what would be a great idea? Why not?’ Which is the dumbest thing. But the dots were obviously connected where there was a switch. But it was certainly not a swap. I left my tenure with Nine Inch Nails to join Foo Fighters. Nine Inch Nails needed a drummer, and the drummer they got was the guy who was no longer with Foo Fighters. And that’s literally what it was.”
Rubin’s comments provide clarity on what became one of rock music’s most talked-about personnel changes in 2025. The drummer shuffle between the two iconic bands captured widespread media attention.
The timeline of events began in May 2025 when Josh Freese departed Foo Fighters. Modern Drummer reported that the band decided “to go in a different direction.” Rubin was officially revealed as Freese’s replacement in July 2025. This created a notable full-circle moment in rock history.
Loudwire noted that this personnel change was particularly significant because Josh Freese had previously drummed for Nine Inch Nails from 2005 to 2008. Ilan Rubin took over that position in 2009, serving with the band for 16 years. The exchange proved mutually beneficial, as Freese returned to the band where he had previously toured and established himself.
Modern Drummer revealed that Rubin informed Nine Inch Nails frontman Trent Reznor of his commitment to Foo Fighters just one week before the July 2025 announcement. This timing coincided with Nine Inch Nails’ upcoming North American tour. This timing further supports Rubin’s assertion that the moves were driven by practical necessity rather than coordinated planning.
The uncertainty surrounding Rubin’s long-term role with Foo Fighters added another layer to the story. Modern Drummer reported it remained unclear whether his position would be permanent or strictly for touring purposes. Rubin’s live debut with Foo Fighters was scheduled for October 2, 2025, in Jakarta, Indonesia. This was followed by dates in Singapore, Tokyo, Osaka, and Mexico City.
