Foo Fighters‘ new drummer is Josh Freese, a prolific session musician who has performed with the likes of Guns N’ Roses, Nine Inch Nails, Paramore, Weezer and A Perfect Circle. Freese replaces Foo Fighters’ longtime drummer Taylor Hawkins, who died last year at the age of 50.
Foo Fighters made the announcement during a livestream event that broadcast early this morning in Australia, which was filmed at the band’s Studio 606 in Los Angeles. During the video, multiple famous drummers – Red Hot Chili Peppers‘ Chad Smith, Mötley Crüe‘s Tommy Lee and Tool‘s Danny Carey – pop by, before a frustrated Freese asks if the band can start rehearsing.
Watch Foo Fighters Perform with Josh Freese at Last Year’s Taylor Hawkins Tribute Concert
Freese has performed with Foo Fighters before. Last year, he joined the band to perform during a pair of star-studded tribute concerts – held in London and Los Angeles – held to honour Hawkins’ memory.
In addition to his extensive resume of session and touring work, Freese has been a member of Californian punks The Vandals and new wave pioneers Devo. Recently, from 2021 to 2023, he was a touring drummer with The Offspring. He played drums on numerous tracks from 100 gecs‘ latest album, this year’s 10,000 gecs, and contributed heavily to Danny Elfman‘s 2021 album Big Mess.
Foo Fighters are currently gearing up to release their first album and embark on their first tour since Hawkins’ death. They’ll kick off a run of North American shows this week in New Hampshire. They’ll play American events including Boston Calling, Bonnaroo and Chicago’s Riot Fest this year, as well as festival dates in Europe and Japan.
But Here We Are, Foo Fighters’ 11th studio album, will arrive next week on Friday, 2nd June. The album has been previewed with two singles so far: ‘Rescued’ in April and ‘Under You’ earlier this month. They performed both those songs, as well as the unreleased ‘Nothing at All’, during this morning’s stream, which you can access free here until 5am AEST on Thursday, 25th May.
Hawkins died at the age of 50 in March last year, in Bogotá, Colombia, where he and his bandmates were scheduled to perform at a music festival. The band shared a statement at the time saying they were “devastated by the tragic and untimely loss” of their bandmate.
On New Year’s Day this year, Foo Fighters confirmed they would continue as a band in Hawkins’ absence. “Without Taylor, we never would have become the band we were – and without Taylor, we know that we’re going to be a different band going forward,” they wrote. “We also know that you, the fans, meant as much to Taylor as he meant to you. And we know that when we see you again – and we will soon – he’ll be there in spirit with all of us every night.”
Further Reading
Foo Fighters Announce New Album ‘But Here We Are’, Share First Single
Here’s What Happened at Foo Fighters’ Taylor Hawkins Tribute Concert in London
Musicians React To The Sudden Passing Of Foo Fighters’ Taylor Hawkins
