Dave Grohl Opens Up About the Painful Truth Behind Letting Josh Freese Go and Replacing Taylor Hawkins

For the past four years, the Foo Fighters have been going through a transition period. Taylor Hawkins' death rattled them to the core, as a band and as people. When he passed away in March 2022, right before a show in Colombia, the band canceled their tour and instead focused on honoring his legacy. In September that same year, they organized two Taylor Hawkins Tribute Shows, one at Wembley Stadium in London and one at the Forum in Los Angeles. After that, they kept a low profile for months, and people were speculating on what the future of the band would be.

They announced at the end of 2022 that they wouldn't be disbanding, and in 2023, they revealed that Josh Freese from Nine-Inch Nails would be taking over Taylor Hawkins's spot. Freese went on tour with the Foo Fighters for a year and a half, but in May 2025, he was dismissed with no explanation. For months, they kept silent about the circumstances, but now that they're starting their tour with their new drummer, Ilan Rubin, Dave Grohl has finally decided to share what went on with Josh Freese.

Dave Grohl Finally Addresses Josh Freese's Dismissal

In May 2025, Foo Fighters fans were shocked to hear from Josh Freese that he was leaving the band. The Foo Fighters had returned from a very successful tour, so it caught people off guard. "The Foo Fighters called me Monday night to let me know they've decided 'to go in a different direction with their drummer.' No reason was given," Freese wrote in an Instagram statement. "Regardless, I enjoyed the past two years with them, both on and off the stage, and I support whatever they feel is best for the band."

A few months later, it was announced that Freese would be replaced by Ilan Rubin from Nine Inch Nails. It was a funny coincidence, as Ilan Rubin ended up playing in NIN after Freese left the band, and now that Rubin is joining the Foo Fighters, Freese is returning to his original band. In a recent interview with Apple Music 1 (via NME), Dave Grohl was jokingly asked if he and Trent Reznor got together and decided to swap drummers. Grohl laughed and finally explained the events that led to Freese's dismissal. After they finished their Everything or Nothing At All tour in August 2024, the Foo Fighters took a break, and during that time, Grohl and the band got to thinking about their future.

“In those six or seven months, as a band, we talked about what to do next, a new direction and thought, 'Okay, let's call Josh and let him know that we are going to move on with a different drummer,'" Grohl explained, emphasizing that the decision "didn't happen overnight."

"We called, as a band, all of us called, it wasn't just me," he continued. "Basically, we called Josh and were like, 'Hey man, that was awesome. That was such a blast, thank you so much, but we are going to move on and find another drummer.' Since then, there's been a lot of talk about it, but I think Josh said it best when he said that he didn't feel our music really resonated with him and that's really important."

Indeed, Freese said in August 2025 that he didn't feel like he completely fit in with the band, musically and personally. "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," he said, adding that it made him feel "like I had to be firing on all cylinders all the time."

Dave Grohl on Grieving Taylor Hawkins

It wasn't just that Josh Freese didn't completely fit into the Foo Fighters musically. Dave Grohl also explained that part of the reason it didn't work out was that Taylor Hawkins's death was too fresh in everyone's minds. "We had Taylor Hawkins as our drummer for 25 years and, beyond being an amazing drummer, he was this incredible spirit. He was this incredible human being and he was our brother. He was our best friend," Grohl shared.

It makes sense that it wasn't so easy to find someone who could fill Taylor Hawkins's shoes. It had to be hard for Josh Freese to try to live up to the legacy of someone the band loved so much. "Continuing after Taylor was really complicated, not just for us, but for any drummer that was going to come in to like, you know, fill his shoes... We always talk about him every f****** day. In everything we do, we want to have that energy, we want to have that energy for Taylor."

Now that they've had some time to process Hawkins's death, they finally seem to have found a good balance in their chemistry with their new lineup. Taylor Hawkins will always be a part of their history and will continue to inspire their music forever. Their 2023 album, But Here We Are, is inspired by their love for him and the pain of losing him, and as they get ready for the release of their new album, Your Favorite Toy, Hawkins's legacy will undoubtedly live on through his bandmates.