The Foo Fighters have unveiled their latest addition to the drumming throne, with sources confirming to The Hollywood Reporter that Ilan Rubin has been tapped for the role. Rubin, a seasoned percussionist best recognized for his tenure with Nine Inch Nails, has been the band's touring drummer since 2009. His illustrious career with Nine Inch Nails culminated in his induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2020, making him the youngest-ever inductee at the age of 32. In addition to his work with Nine Inch Nails, Rubin also holds the drumming reins for Angels & Airwaves and has collaborated with Danny Elfman.
This announcement arrives just over two months after Foo Fighters bid farewell to drummer Josh Freese, who had joined the band in 2023 as a successor to the late Taylor Hawkins, who passed away in 2022. Intriguingly, as Rubin joins Foo Fighters, THR has learned that Freese will make a triumphant return to Nine Inch Nails, as confirmed by a band representative. The band subsequently posted a picture of Freese on Instagram, tagging the drummer and excitedly captioning it, "Let's fucking go."
It remains uncertain at this time whether Rubin joins Foo Fighters as a full-time member or merely as a touring drummer. A source reveals that Rubin had committed to Nine Inch Nails through this year and informed band frontman Trent Reznor last week about accepting a gig with another band. A representative for Foo Fighters declined to comment on the matter.
This musical shuffle occurs just a week before Nine Inch Nails kick off the North American leg of their Peel it Back tour in Oakland at the Oakland Arena on August 6. The tour had commenced with a 15-date European leg in June and is poised to be one of the biggest of the year, with most of the band's two-dozen arena dates nearly selling out months in advance. Beyond the tour, Nine Inch Nails is also composing the soundtrack for the upcoming Tron: Ares, marking the first time the band is credited as composers on a film rather than individual members Reznor and Atticus Ross.
Freese had confirmed his departure from Foo Fighters on his Instagram in May, stating that the band had decided "to go in a different direction with their drummer," adding that he was "not angry—just a bit shocked and disappointed." For Freese, this marks a reunion with Nine Inch Nails, where he served as the live drummer from 2005 to 2008. In a 2021 podcast interview with Dean Delray, Freese revealed that he had left Nine Inch Nails to focus on fatherhood, as he and his wife had two young boys at home. Rubin succeeded Freese in Nine Inch Nails and is himself a father to one child, with another on the way.
Foo Fighters will resume their live performances after a year-long hiatus, starting in Jakarta, Indonesia, on October 2. Following that, they will perform in Singapore, Tokyo, and Osaka later that month. They will also play a show in Mexico City on November 14. Earlier this month, to celebrate their 30th anniversary, the band released "Today's Song," their first new music since 2023. Accompanying the release, Grohl shared a heartfelt letter with fans, reminiscing about the band's "moments of unbridled joy and devastating heartbreak" over the years. He paid tribute to Hawkins, writing, "You are still in everything we do, everywhere we go, forever," and thanked Freese for his contributions, noting that without "the thunderous wizardry of Josh Freese, this story would be incomplete."
