Days after drummer Josh Freese revealed he was let go from the Foo Fighters, buzz has begun to spread that Shane Hawkins is rumored to be the new drummer for the band.
Per Rolling Stone Australia, Stan Bicknell, a New Zealand-based drummer and educator, shared via his Instagram Stories, “I’ve just been informed, they’ve gone with Shane … but you didn’t hear it from here.”
Shane Hawkins, of course, is the son of late Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins. Shane has performed with Foo Fighters on a handful of occasions. The most notable example came when Shane performed “My Hero” with the band during the Taylor Hawkins Tribute Concert at London’s Wembley Stadium in 2022.
Freese shared in a statement via Instagram on May 16, “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.”
He added, “In my 40 years of drumming professionally, I’ve never been let go from a band, so while I’m not angry-just a bit shocked and disappointed. But as most of you know, I’ve always worked freelance and bounced between bands, so I’m fine.”
Freese whimsically concluded, “Stay tuned for my ‘Top 10 possible reasons Josh got booted from Foo Fighters’ list.”
Freese was announced as the Foo Fighters drummer in May 2023 following the death of Taylor Hawkins, who passed away unexpectedly in March 2022 at age 50.
