Drummer Josh Freese had the unenviable task of replacing the late, great Taylor Hawkins in the Foo Fighters, but the veteran beat-keeper did the job commendably for two years. Freese was let go without warning in May of 2025 and has largely stayed silent on the subject.
In a new interview with Modern Drummer, however, Freese went into a little more detail on his exit while also being careful not to ruffle any feathers with his former employers. “The Foo Fighters are such a big, mainstream band that everything I say gets taken out of context, reposted, and blown out of proportion,” he explained. “People created headlines from one quick, simple comment I made on a podcast not long ago, it’s crazy. I’ve got to be careful about what I say about it. But I’ve got a lot to say about it, and I’ve been just trying to figure out how and when, to go about really articulating it.”
Freese continued: “I have a couple small theories, but I can’t really go into them right now. I did really enjoy the two years I spent with those guys however, and they were good to me… until they weren’t. I liked playing with them. And I loved having Dave (Grohl) as a bandleader. I truly respect him so much as a drummer first and foremost. To me, he’s a drummer first and everything else is second. I’ve listened to him on all the great records he’s played drums on more than I’ve listened to any Foo Fighters stuff. It really was cool being in a band where the leader is a phenomenal drummer that you respect… That’s really fun… We basically came from the same era too and could relate to one another.”
Freese went on to say he’s still puzzled by his dismissal. “I enjoyed being around those guys, they were generous and good to me… and that’s what makes the whole thing even more of a mystery,” he added. “I think I’m a pretty good read on people, and I did not see that coming. One day it was nothing but laughs, we’re on stage and Dave’s looking at me every night like, ‘You’re killing it, dude!’ And then it was just — over.”
