Nine Inch Nails swapped drummers with Foo Fighters because it “just made sense”.
Josh Freese – who had previously played with NIN – was drafted into Dave Grohl’s band following the death of longtime drummer Taylor Hawkins in 2002, but he was dismissed from the group in the summer and was replaced by NIN star Ilan Rubin.
NIN frontman Trent Reznor went on to bring Freese back into his band and he’s explained he decided to call the percussionist because it “just made sense”. The musician told Consequence.net: “As soon as I heard the news [of Josh’s departure from Foo Fighters], I thought I could call Josh and he could play the show tonight, ’cause there’s no doubt about his ability.
“And that’s essentially in a shorthand what went down. He was available and willing, and it just made sense on a number of levels.
“Being completely honest, we’re adults and we’re professional, but we’re also people with emotional feelings and a sense of camaraderie and intent and purpose.
“I thought it would feel better to play that last wave of tours with someone that wants to be there, and that’s what went down.”
Freese has also opened up about the “drummer swap” and insisted it was “just coincidence”.
During an appearance on Eddie Trunk on SiriusXM’s Trunk Nation show, Freese explained: “As far as the drummer swap thing, it’s funny because it’s just coincidence the way it worked out.
“It’s not like there was a purposeful drum swap. And, actually, if Ilan, who was playing with Nine Inch Nails, who joined the band after I left in 2009, if he left Nine Inch Nails to go join – pick a band – Muse, I don’t know, Trent would’ve called me.
“It’s not like it was an intentional swap. It’s like when Trent needed a drummer, when Ilan split, he was, like: ‘Well, I’m gonna call Freese.’ And he called me and I was, like: ‘Hell yeah’.”
Freese previously revealed he was “shocked and disappointed” when told that his time touring with the Foos was coming to an end earlier this year.
He wrote on Instagram: “The Foo Fighters called me Monday night to let me know they’ve decided ‘to go in a different direction with their drummer’.
“No reason was given. Regardless, I enjoyed the past two years with them, both on and off stage and I support whatever they feel is best for the band …
“In my 40 years of drumming professionally, I’ve never been let go from a band, so while I’m not angry – I’m shocked and disappointed. But as most of you know I’ve always worked freelance and bounced between bands so I’m fine.”
The musician later released a tongue-in-cheek list of 10 reasons as to why he was “booted” from the Foo Fighters, quipping that he had whistled the track My Hero too much.
From 10 to one, he joked he “once whistled My Hero for a week solid on tour” and “could only name one Fugazi song”.
He also teased that his “metronome-like precision behind the kit” had been deemed “soulless”, and joked that he “demanded started every rehearsal with a 20 minute cowbell sound bath”.
Referencing Grohl’s iconic look, Freese quipped he “never even once tried growing a beard”, and that he “didn’t show up to the studio because Mercury was in retrograde”.