Ilan Rubin has described his move from Nine Inch Nails to Foo Fighters, and Josh Freese's opposite switch, as a logical coincidence rather than a planned swap. In a recent podcast interview, Rubin emphasized the timing aligned perfectly without any orchestrated exchange. He expressed regret over media portrayals that suggested an abrupt departure.
Ilan Rubin, who joined Foo Fighters last year after leaving Nine Inch Nails, addressed the so-called 'drummer swap' in an interview on the Go With Elmo Lovano podcast. The change was announced last July, shortly after Foo Fighters parted ways with Josh Freese, who then rejoined Nine Inch Nails, where he had previously played from 2005 to 2008. Rubin played his first show with Foo Fighters in September 2025 and described the sequence as straightforward: his contract with Nine Inch Nails ended, and the Foo Fighters opportunity arose as an 'obvious great fit.'