Josh Freese Opens Up on the Intriguing Drummer Switch Between Foo Fighters and Nine Inch Nails
Imagine the music world turning upside down when one drummer steps out of one iconic band and into another, only for a legend to step right back in—it's like a rock 'n' roll game of musical chairs, and it could change how fans view band loyalty forever. But here's where it gets controversial: Was this swap really just fate, or does it hint at deeper tensions in the industry? Stick around as we dive into the details and explore what drummer Josh Freese had to say about it all.
Freese shared his insights during a chat with host Eddie Trunk on SiriusXM’s Trunk Nation program. This piece is brought to you by Andy Kahn, posted on December 12, 2025, at 2:19 pm PST.
As a seasoned drummer, Josh Freese (check out his profile at Jambase) delved into the fascinating "drummer swap" (learn more in this Jambase article) that unfolded between Foo Fighters (explore the band here) and Nine Inch Nails (discover them on Jambase) back in the earlier part of this year. It involved Ilan Rubin (his Jambase page) departing from Nine Inch Nails to become part of Foo Fighters, while Freese returned to Nine Inch Nails following his exit from Foo Fighters (read about that in this Jambase piece). The conversation unfolded on SiriusXM’s Trunk Nation (tune in via the SiriusXM player).
Freese has an impressive resume that includes a significant period with Nine Inch Nails, alongside stints with heavyweights like Guns N’ Roses (their Jambase band page), Weezer (find them on Jambase), A Perfect Circle (check out their profile), Sting (his Jambase entry), and Devo (explore the band here). Rubin stepped in to fill Freese's shoes when Freese stopped touring with NIN back in 2009.
In August, Freese made a triumphant return to the stage with Nine Inch Nails for the first time in almost 17 years (catch the video, setlist, and details from that Oakland show on Jambase). During the interview, Trunk asked about his reunion as Trent Reznor's (his Jambase page) drummer in the band.
“It wasn't some planned exchange,” Freese explained to Trunk. “Trent just needed a drummer after Ilan decided to move on, so he reached out to me. I jumped at the chance because I've always cherished working with Trent—our collaboration from 2005 to 2009 was fantastic. And oh, the timing? Pure coincidence. His outgoing drummer was heading to the very band I'd just left. It just lined up that way by accident.”
To put this in perspective for beginners in the rock scene, drummer swaps like this aren't unheard of, but they can stir up debates about commitment and creativity. For instance, think of how Matt Cameron joined Pearl Jam after leaving Soundgarden—it shows how musicians often bounce between projects, keeping the music scene dynamic and sometimes unpredictable.
The discussion on Trunk Nation also covered Freese's experiences with Guns N’ Roses during the era of their album Chinese Democracy, offering fans a glimpse into the evolution of rock legends. For those eager to hear more, full episodes of Trunk Nation broadcast daily at 3 p.m. ET on SiriusXM’s Faction Talk channel.
But here's the part most people miss: Could this swap signal a shift toward more flexible band structures in modern music, where loyalty is fluid? And this is where controversy brews—some might argue it's a sign of instability in bands, while others see it as healthy evolution. What do you think? Was Trent's call to Freese a stroke of genius or just inevitable? Share your thoughts in the comments—do you agree it was all coincidence, or suspect there's more to the story? Let's discuss!
Listen to Freese chatting about the FF/NIN drummer swap and his Guns N’ Roses days in the clips below:
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