Ilan Rubin has set the record straight about his move to Foo Fighters and the return of Josh Freese to Nine Inch Nails. Many fans thought it was a “drummer swap,” but Rubin insists that’s not the case. “When the news leaked, it was kind of billed as this drummer swap,” he said on the Go with Elmo Lovano podcast. “That would imply that Trent and Dave were like, ‘Hey, you know what would be a great idea?’ … Which is the dumbest thing.”
Rubin had been with Nine Inch Nails for over ten years before joining Foo Fighters. Freese, who played with Foo Fighters starting in 2023 after the passing of Taylor Hawkins, was with NIN from 2005 to 2008. Rubin emphasizes that there’s no story behind their moves. He believes it made sense for NIN to bring back Freese once he left Foo Fighters.
“At some point, Josh was no longer with Foo Fighters,” Rubin explained. “They needed a drummer, and when shows were coming up, I was contacted. So, when I took that opportunity, Nine Inch Nails needed a drummer too.”
Rubin also addressed concerns that he broke any commitment to NIN by joining Foo Fighters. “What bothered me was the impression that I just said, ‘Oh, this came up, I’m out of here,’ which was not the case at all,” he said. Rubin’s comments clarify the situation and show that both musicians made their moves for logical reasons.
