Dave Grohl has shared more insight into why Josh Freese was abruptly let go as the Foo Fighters’ drummer, saying: “We know what feels best for our band”.
Freese joined the band as their touring drummer in 2023 following the sudden passing of Taylor Hawkins in March 2022. He toured with them throughout 2024, and in May last year Grohl and co. announced that he had been let go – a move that the sticksman said he was “shocked” and “disappointed” by.
It was Ilan Rubin who took on the role of sticksman, with him and Freese swapping groups; Rubin left Nine Inch Nails to join Foos, and Freese returned to work with Trent Reznor and co.
Freese has spoken out a few times about the sudden departure from Foos, saying he is still unsure of exactly why he was let go, revealing that he didn’t fully ‘resonate’ with their music, and telling fans that “no one should feel sorry” for him.
Since announcing their 12th studio album, ‘Your Favorite Toy’ – set for release on April 24 – Foos frontman Grohl has touched upon the decision to kick Freese out of the line-up briefly, but not gone into much detail as to why the decision was made.
Speaking to Zane Lowe, he said that while they had a “great time” working with him, they ultimately thought they needed to go for “a new direction” – adding that the drummer’s comments about the music not “resonating” were “really important” into understanding the decision.
In a separate interview with The Guardian, bassist Nate Mendel said: “We made a decision that it was best for all parties. To get into the personal details [with Freese] of why that didn’t necessarily sync up, just didn’t seem like it was going to benefit anybody.”
Now, when asked about the decision to change drummers arose again in a new interview, Grohl went into more depth, adding that the line-up ultimately depends on the “connection” that the members have with each other.
“A drummer’s playing is based on feel,” Grohl told The Irish Times. “That’s all drumming is: feel. It’s hard to define when you’re playing with someone and it feels ‘right,’ or when you’re playing with someone who feels ‘really good,’ and then you’re playing with someone and it feels ‘fucking amazing.’”
He continued: “It’s personality, it’s your connection, your rhythm that you have together… It’s just a combination, or a recipe – when you’re cooking something and it says, ‘Salt and pepper to taste’ at the end of the recipe; that’s defined by you.”
Concluding, he shared: “We know what feels best for our band.”
‘Your Favorite Toy’ is due for release on April 24 via Roswell Records/Columbia Records, and earlier this year Grohl revealed that the album was stacked with “uptempo” and “noisy, loud bangers” that feel like they’re from “the old days”.
Their latest single from the LP is ‘Of All People’, which they initially showcased at their recent run of intimate UK and Ireland shows in Dublin, London and Manchester in February.
Following these intimate shows, the band will embark on their European ‘Take Cover’ tour this summer, which includes two concerts at Anfield stadium in Liverpool (find any remaining tickets here). From there, they have North American dates over the summer and autumn, too, and as well as Australia and New Zealand shows in 2026 and 2027.
Before then, though, they will be making a televised appearance on the newly-launched SNL UK.