DAVE GROHL Explains FOO FIGHTERS' Decision To Fire JOSH FREESE: It 'Didn't Happen Overnight'

Dave Grohl has spoken out about FOO FIGHTERS' decision last year to part ways with Josh Freese. The legendary rock drummer was fired from FOO FIGHTERS in May 2025, two years after he was recruited to fill the vacancy left by the late Taylor Hawkins.

When Freese announced he was let go from FOO FIGHTERS, he shared a statement on Instagram in which he said the FOO FIGHTERS called him earlier that week to let him know that they had decided "to go in a different direction with their drummer." Freese added, "No reason was given." Since then, former NINE INCH NAILS drummer Ilan Rubin has taken on the role of sticksman in the FOO FIGHTERS.

In a new interview with "The Zane Lowe Show" on Apple Music 1 (via NME),Grohl said that the decision to split with Freese was made while FOO FIGHTERS took a break from touring in 2024. "In those six or seven months, as a band, we talked about what to do next, a new direction, and thought, 'Okay, let's call Josh and let him know that we are going to move on with a different drummer,'" Dave said, adding that the move "didn't happen overnight."

"We called, as a band, all of us called, it wasn't just me," he continued. "Basically, we called Josh and were, like, 'Hey, man, that was awesome. That was such a blast, thank you so much, but we are going to move on and find another drummer.'"

"Since then, there's been a lot of talk about it," Grohl said, "but I think Josh said it best when he said that he didn't feel our music really resonated with him, and that's really important."

Grohl's comment is an apparent reference to an interview Freese gave to The New York Times in August 2025 in which he said about his stint with the FOO FIGHTERS: "It wasn't music that I really resonated with. I'm coming in as Dave Grohl's drummer, and the guy that's supposed to save the day after the beloved Taylor Hawkins died." He added that the pressure made him feel "like I had to be firing on all cylinders all the time."

During the Apple Music 1 interview, Grohl admitted that filling the vacancy left by the Hawkins has been extremely difficult.

"We had Taylor Hawkins as our drummer for 25 years and, beyond being an amazing drummer, he was this incredible spirit," Dave explained. "He was this incredible human being and he was our brother. He was our best friend," he said. "So, continuing after Taylor was really complicated, not just for us, but for any drummer that was going to come in to like, you know, fill his shoes. ... We always talk about him every fucking day. In everything we do we want to have that energy — we want to have that energy for Taylor."

FOO FIGHTERS revealed Freese as part of its touring lineup on May 21, 2023 during a pre-tour livestream called "Foo Fighters: Preparing Music For Concerts". Freese was unveiled as the drummer during the livestream after comedic cameos by Chad Smith of RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS, Tommy Lee of MÖTLEY CRÜE and Danny Carey of TOOL.

After announcing that he was fired from the FOO FIGHTERS in May 2025, Freese shared a light-hearted follow-up post in which he listed 10 possible reasons he might have been dismissed from the band, including "once whistled [the FOO FIGHTERS' hit] 'My Hero' for a week solid on tour" and "never even once tried growing a beard."

Hawkins tragically passed away in March 2022 at the age of 50.

Hawkins was found dead in a hotel room in Colombia, shortly before FOO FIGHTERS were due to play a festival in Bogotá. No cause of death was ever announced.

Hawkins had been the FOO FIGHTERS drummer for 25 years, taking over from original drummer William Goldsmith in 1997. He is survived by his wife Alison and their three children.

FOO FIGHTERS staged two tribute concerts in honor of Hawkins. The first tribute concert took place September 3, 2022 at London's Wembley Stadium. A Los Angeles concert was held on September 27, 2022 and raised money for Musicares and Music Support charities and served as a farewell party for Hawkins's adopted hometown.

Freese released his new album, "Just A Minute, Vol. 2", in November 2025 via PEARL JAM co-founder Stone Gossard's Loosegroove Records. The follow-up to his first installment, released in 2021, once again crammed 25 songs into 25 minutes, with every track landing precisely at the one-minute mark.