Ilan Rubin Breaks Silence on Foo Fighters Situation

Ilan Rubin has broken his silence about joining Foo Fighters in 2025. He's pushing back hard against claims that he and Josh Freese participated in some kind of coordinated drummer swap between the band and Nine Inch Nails. The musician shared his thoughts during an interview with the Go With Elmo Lovano podcast.

"There is no story, honestly. I think it's just a very logical thing," Rubin said to Go With Elmo. "It was certainly not a swap. I left my tenure with Nine Inch Nails to join Foo Fighters. Nine Inch Nails needed a drummer, and the drummer they got was the guy who was no longer with the Foo Fighters. And that's literally what it was."

Dave Grohl reached out to Rubin after nearly 17 years with Nine Inch Nails came to an end. The lead singer knew his touring commitments were wrapping up. He asked about availability for upcoming shows.

"Well, at some point in time I got a call from Dave. We talked about some stuff," Rubin explained. "He knew that my touring commitments at the time were coming to an end, and I was available after that."

The band held several auditions before picking their new member. Rubin showed up prepared to play 40 songs. He approached the session like the opening night of a tour. "They really wanted to make sure that whoever came in was vetted as best as possible," he noted.

Josh Freese drummed for Nine Inch Nails from 2005 to 2008 before Rubin took over in February 2009. Freese joined Foo Fighters in 2023 after Taylor Hawkins died in 2022. He left the group in May 2025. Rubin made his live debut with the group in September 2025 at the Fremont Theater in San Luis Obispo, California. 

"This new chapter has been incredible — the most outgoing, inviting people and organization," Rubin said. "Everything's awesome. So much fun. The smiles are real, and I can't get enough of it."

The band will release their 12th album, Your Favorite Toy, on April 24 through Roswell Records and Columbia Records. They'll perform spring shows in the US before kicking off a European tour in June. A North American stadium tour with Queens of the Stone Age will follow in August, and dates in Australia and New Zealand are scheduled for late 2026 and early 2027.