DAVE GROHL Breaks Silence On FOO FIGHTERS’ Split With JOSH FREESE

Dave Grohl has finally addressed Foo Fighters‘ decision to part ways with drummer Josh Freese last year, shedding light on the band’s internal discussions and the emotional weight of moving forward after Taylor Hawkins.

Freese — a veteran sticksman known for his work with Nine Inch Nails and countless others — was recruited in 2023 to fill the void left by Hawkins‘ death. But in May 2025, he revealed via Instagram that the band had decided “to go in a different direction with their drummer,” adding: “No reason was given.” Since then, former Nine Inch Nails drummer Ilan Rubin has stepped in behind the kit for Foo Fighters.

Now, speaking on The Zane Lowe Show on Apple Music 1, Grohl has opened up about how the decision unfolded. According to the frontman, the call was made during a break from touring in 2024.

“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 move “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.'”

Grohl also referenced comments Freese made in an August 2025 interview with The New York Times, where the drummer admitted the gig never fully clicked for him. “It wasn’t music that I really resonated with,” Freese said at the time, adding that stepping in after Hawkins’ passing came with immense pressure.

“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… I felt like I had to be firing on all cylinders all the time.”

Grohl acknowledged that sentiment. “Since then, there’s been a lot of talk about it,” he said, “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.”

The Foo Fighters frontman also spoke candidly about the emotional complexity of carrying on without Hawkins, who had been Grohl‘s bandmate for 25 years.

“We had Taylor Hawkins as our drummer for 25 years and, beyond being an amazing drummer, he was this incredible spirit,” Grohl said. “He was this incredible human being and he was our brother. He was our best friend. So, 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 fucking day. In everything we do we want to have that energy — we want to have that energy for Taylor.”