In one of the most “that’s kind of funny but also makes a lot of sense” moments of 2025, the Foo Fighters and Nine Inch Nails just traded drummers.
According to Pitchfork, the Foos just swiped Ilan Rubin from NIN, while the industrial veterans picked up Josh Freese, who was fired from the Foo Fighters earlier this year. Notably, he also used to drum for Nine Inch Nails, but was hired by the Foos after the death of their longtime drummer Taylor Hawkins.
Reflecting on the full circle moment, Freese issued a statement, saying, “Leaving Nine Inch Nails at the end of 2008 was one of the hardest decisions I’ve ever had to make. My wife and I were expecting our third child, and I knew I needed to step away from life on the road to be home with my family.”
“Nine Inch Nails was a band that left me walking off stage every single night thinking, ‘That was incredible. We absolutely crushed it.’ … That level of intensity, pride, and satisfaction after each show is something I’ve rarely experienced anywhere,” he added, via Metal Injection.
“Now, being back on tour with Trent and the crew — helping them do what they do best night after night — is something I’m incredibly excited about,” Freese continued. “To be part of that energy again feels amazing. If you get a chance to catch one of these shows over the next six weeks, I promise, they’re going to be absolutely unforgettable.”
The news comes as Nine Inch Nails just wrapped up the European leg of their Peel It Back tour, which will come stateside next month, kicking off in Oakland on Aug. 3 before wrapping up in Los Angeles on Sept. 18. Check out the full list of dates below:
AUGUST 06 | OAKLAND, CA
AUGUST 08 | PORTLAND, OR
AUGUST 10 | VANCOUVER, BC
AUGUST 12 | SEATTLE, WA
AUGUST 14 | SALT LAKE CITY, UT
AUGUST 15 | DENVER, CO
AUGUST 17 | SAINT PAUL, MN
AUGUST 19 | CHICAGO, IL
AUGUST 22 | DETROIT, MI
AUGUST 23 | TORONTO, ON
AUGUST 26 | BALTIMORE, MD
AUGUST 27 | PHILADELPHIA, PA
AUGUST 29 | BOSTON, MA
AUGUST 31 | CLEVELAND, OH
SEPTEMBER 02 | BROOKLYN, NY
SEPTEMBER 05 | RALEIGH, NC
SEPTEMBER 06 | NASHVILLE, TN
SEPTEMBER 09 | DULUTH, GA
SEPTEMBER 10 | TAMPA, FL
SEPTEMBER 12 | HOUSTON, TX
SEPTEMBER 13 | FORT WORTH, TX
SEPTEMBER 16 | PHOENIX, AZ
SEPTEMBER 18 | LOS ANGELES, CA
The post Drummer Swap: Nine Inch Nails and Foo Fighters Just Traded Members appeared first on VICE.
