Drummer Josh Freese Talks Return to Nine Inch Nails After Foo Fighters Split: ‘I’m Incredibly Excited’

Veteran studio and live drummer Josh Freese had three simple words to describe his excitement about re-joining Nine Inch Nails: “Let’s F–king Go.” That was the message Freese posted on his Instagram on Wednesday night (July 30) after news broke earlier in the day that he would be behind the kit again for the Trent Reznor-led band just two months after being relieved of his two year gig as the Foo Fighters‘ timekeeper.

In the post, prolific drummer Freese, 52, who has performed with Guns N’ Roses, DEVO, A Perfect Circle, the Vandals and many more, said that leaving NIN in 2008 after three years was “one of the hardest decisions I’ve ever had to make.” He explained that, at the time, he and his wife were expecting their third child and he knew he had to step away from touring to be with his family.

Now, though, he could not be more psyched to jump back into the high-intensity NIN universe. “NIN was a band that left me walking off stage every single night thinking, ‘That was incredible. We absolutely crushed it,’” he wrote. “And it wasn’t just a feeling, it was a certainty. That level of intensity, pride, and satisfaction after each show is something I’ve rarely experienced anywhere else.”

While it’s unknown how long Freese has been sitting on the news, he doesn’t appear to have a ton of time to get back into the thundering NIN groove, as the band is slated to kick off its run of North American Peel It Back dates in Oakland, Calif. on Aug. 6. To hear him tell it, though, he’s more than ready.

“Now, being back on tour with Trent and the crew — helping them do what they do best night after night — is something I’m incredibly excited about,” Freese wrote. “To be part of that energy again feels amazing. If you get a chance to catch one of these shows over the next six weeks, I promise, they’re going to be absolutely unforgettable.”

The Hollywood Reporter broke the news on Wednesday of an MLB-like drummer swap between NIN and Foo Fighters, with Freese headed back to NIN and that band’s most recent timekeeper Ilan Rubin — who joined NIN in 2009 — taking over the drum seat in the Foo Fighters ahead of their upcoming tour dates in Indonesia, Singapore and Japan. It was unknown at press time if Rubin, who also performs with Tom DeLonge’s Angels & Airwaves, is joining the Foos full time or only for the upcoming shows.

The Foo Fighters, who have not played a full show since Sept. 28, 2024, will kick off a limited run of gigs in Jakarta, Indonesia on Oct. 2 before headlining the Formula 1 Grand Prix Singapore two days later and then playing three shows in Japan ahead of a return to North America on Nov. 14 for a show at Corona Capital in Mexico City on Nov. 14.