The Foo Fighters have officially welcomed a new bandmate, with Josh Freese announced as the drummer to replace the late Taylor Hawkins. The group revealed the new addition to their lineup during a livestream of one of their recent studio recording sessions in California. According to Deadline, the video features drummers from different bands like Chad Smith of Red Hot Chili Peppers and Tommy Lee of Mötley Crüe.
Danny Carey of the band Tool also appeared in the livestream, before the camera finally panned to Freese behind a drum set, asking when he could begin rehearsing. Freese, who will be Hawkins’ successor on future Foo Fighters tours and albums, is a prolific session and touring drummer, having recently performed with the band The Offspring. Elsewhere, he has contributed to projects by the likes of Lana Del Rey, Bruce Springsteen and Sting.
Freese has also been a part of the lineup of bands like Guns N’ Roses, Nine Inch Nails and Weezer. He is also known for manning the drums during the Taylor Hawkins tribute concerts, following the beloved bandmate’s death in March last year. “Without hesitation I said, ‘Taylor’s drums need to be up there and I want to play on his exact set up,” Freese wrote of his tribute set on social media. “I want THAT energy to be up on THAT stage.”
Freese’s announcement comes weeks ahead of Foo Fighters’ upcoming world tour in June, their first since Taylor’s passing from cardiac arrest. Freese was considered a frontrunner for Taylor’s replacement, with other potential drummers arising in the likes of Pearl Jam’s Matt Cameron, and Brad Wilk of Rage Against the Machine.
Machine Gun Kelly and Billie Eilish were among those to pay tribute to Hawkins following his death, as well as Perry Farrell of Jane’s Addiction and Roger Taylor of Queen.
