Josh Freese, the drummer who recently exited the Foo Fighters to return to his old position behind the kit for Nine Inch Nails has been given the honour of a profile in the New York Times and revealed some interesting nuggets about his varied career.
You may not know the vast range of artists Freese has played with over the years – everyone from metal supergroup A Perfect Circle to Michael Buble, taking in Weezer, Chinese Democracy-era Guns N’ Roses, Devo, The Replacements, Lana Del Rey, Katy Perry and Bruce Springsteen amongst many others. In short, he’s a safe pair of hands. Though that doesn’t always mean he’s a perfect fit for every band.
His two-year stint in the Foo Fighters, he admits was a high-pressure gig. “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 says. It left him feeling “like I had to be firing on all cylinders all the time.”
His comments about his abrupt sacking last spring are revealing. At first he says: “Looking back, it was probably more an issue with their management,” before suggesting that “It wasn’t music that I really resonated with.”
Freese was something of a drum prodigy. He joined the musicians’ union aged 12 and was touring with Californian punks The Vandals by the time he reached 16. “The Vandals were smart and funny as hell and saved me from music school and a life playing little jazz gigs,” he says of his time with that band.
He also addresses his reputation within the business as being someone who’s easy to get on with, a ‘good hang’ shall we say. “I’ve heard people say, ‘Oh, Josh Freese is a funny guy, that’s the reason he gets work,’” he said. “Well, I’m a pretty good drummer too. I mean, I’ve got friends that are fun to hang out with, but I don’t want them playing in my band or on my record.”
As for his replacement behind the kit for the Foos, ex-Nine Inch Nails man Ihan Rubin. “I couldn’t believe it,” he says of the drummer swap that took place between his old and new bands this summer. “But Ilan’s a phenomenal drummer, a phenomenal musician. He’ll be perfect for the gig.”
