Josh Freese has spoken about his departure for the Foo Fighters
When Josh Freese was hired by the Foo Fighters as the replacement for Taylor Hawkins, many fans said, “Of course! Great pick!” But after one touring cycle–less than two years–Josh was out of the band some, joking, “Dave Grohl didn’t want to be the second-best drummer in the Foos.” Josh has gone back to touring with Nine Inch Nails (I saw them last week and Josh was on fire), the Foos new drummer is Ilan Rubin, who used to tour with…Nine Inch Nails.
Now that everyone has settled into their new jobs, Josh is talking about his old employers. According to the New York Times, he felt the pressure of succeeding Taylor. He felt “like I had to be firing on all cylinders all the time.”
But this next sentence is even more telling: “Looking back, it was probably more an issue with their management. It wasn’t music that I really resonated with.” Sounds like when Dave Navarro joined the Red Hot Chili Peppers, right?
“”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.”
The NIN gig is temporary, and once the current tour concludes, Josh will again be seeking work. I hear that Pearl Jam needs a new drummer. But Josh already has plenty of work (touring with The Vandals, a Billy Idol album, an album by Sting, and another solo album), plus he wants to spend time at home with his beloved poodles.
Want to learn more about Josh in general. That New York Times article is really good.
