Nine months after being unexpectedly let go by Foo Fighters, Josh Freese isn’t licking wounds or drafting tell-alls. He’s back behind the kit, louder than ever, and making it clear that whatever happened in the Foos camp isn’t defining his legacy.
In a new interview with Modern Drummer, and reported by Consequence, Freese addressed his sudden exit from Foo Fighters after a two-year stint that began following the death of Taylor Hawkins. His message was direct: “No one should feel sorry for me.”
Freese didn’t dive deep into specifics, but he acknowledged the surreal nature of the split. “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 said, noting that even minor comments can spiral into headlines. While he hinted at having “a couple small theories,” he stopped short of elaborating.
Still, he made it clear he valued the experience. Freese described his time with Dave Grohl and company as largely positive. He praised Grohl in particular, calling him “a drummer first and everything else is second,” and spoke about the unique dynamic of being in a band led by someone he respected from behind the kit.
“I did really enjoy the two years I spent with those guys,” Freese said. “They were good to me… until they weren’t.” The abruptness of the decision caught him off guard. One day he was getting onstage validation — “You’re killing it, dude!” — and the next, it was simply over.
If there was any sting, it didn’t last long. Freese quickly rejoined Nine Inch Nails, whose drummer Ilan Rubin had stepped into the Foo Fighters role. Freese is currently on the North American leg of NIN’s “Peel It Back” tour, a run that’s reminded audiences why he remains one of the most in-demand drummers in modern rock.
He recalled learning of his dismissal while spending a day off with members of A Perfect Circle and Primus. Rather than spiraling, he found perspective. “I just remember thinking that I was really grateful to be out there on tour with my friends… playing music I liked with people that I’ve had a long history with.”
For someone with credits spanning Nine Inch Nails, A Perfect Circle, Weezer, Danny Elfman, and Billy Idol, the Foo Fighters chapter reads less like a fall from grace and more like a brief, but wild, detour.
“Someone recently said to me, ‘Man, you’ve had a tough year,’” Freese reflected. “Really? So the Foo Fighters thing is over. Big deal, that was a blip… I feel like I’m back where I belong. Trust me… no one should feel sorry for me.”
