For the first time since last year’s lineup shift, Dave Grohl has publicly addressed why Foo Fighters parted ways with drummer Josh Freese.
Speaking in a new interview with Apple Music’s Zane Lowe, Grohl described the decision as a collective one that unfolded over several months rather than a sudden fracture.
“In those six or seven months, as a band, we talked about what to do next, a new direction,” Grohl said, explaining that the group ultimately called Freese together to let him know they would be “moving on with a different drummer.” He emphasized that the conversation was made as a unified band decision. “We called, as a band, all of us called, it wasn’t just me.”
Freese joined Foo Fighters in May 2023 following the March 2022 death of longtime drummer Taylor Hawkins, whose passing marked one of the most destabilizing moments in the band’s three decade run. Freese announced in May 2025 that he had been let go, writing at the time that the band had decided to “go in a different direction” and that no specific reason was given.
Grohl framed the post-Hawkins era as inherently complicated. In a separate interview, he reflected on how deeply Hawkins had shaped the band’s identity, noting that he had been their drummer for 25 of their 30 years. “Continuing on after Taylor was really complicated,” Grohl said, acknowledging the emotional and musical weight of that transition.
According to Grohl, after roughly a year and a half of touring with Freese, the band paused and reassessed their next chapter. Once the decision was made, they chose not to issue a press release or publicly elaborate. “After that, we didn’t make a press release, tweet anything or do interviews,” Grohl said. “We didn’t say anything.”
Freese has since rejoined Nine Inch Nails and recently filled in for Weezer during the band’s Australian run tied to the Good Things Festival.
The comments arrive as Foo Fighters prepare to release their 12th studio album, Your Favorite Toy, due April 24. The band dropped the title track last week, with Grohl describing it as the song that unlocked the direction of the record.
“‘Your Favorite Toy’ really was the key that unlocked the tone and energetic direction of the new album,” Grohl said, explaining that the band spent more than a year experimenting before the track crystallized the project’s sound.
The new record lands ahead of an upcoming stadium run in Australia and New Zealand scheduled between November 2026 and January 2027.
For a band that has survived seismic change before, Grohl’s comments offer rare transparency. The split with Freese, he insists, was not about drama but direction. In the aftermath of loss, Foo Fighters are once again redefining what forward looks like.
