Trent Reznor on What Really Went Down with Josh Freese's Return to Nine Inch Nails

"Ilan is a great musician and had been a solid guy during his tenure in the band, but it presented a problem in terms of we knew there was another leg of the tour that we're going to start in February [2026].  And we could either replace him immediately [after the early summer 2025 European leg] or we could replace him after the [late summer 2025 North American] leg, which would mean trying to find someone over the holiday break."

"As soon as I heard the news, I thought I could call Josh and he could play the show tonight, 'cause there's no doubt about his ability.  And that's essentially in a shorthand what went down. He was available and willing, and it just made sense on a number of levels. Being completely honest, we're adults"

"The reality of that scenario was it was a surprise to me that Ilan was joining the Foo Fighters,"

Trent Reznor confirmed that Ilan Rubin left Nine Inch Nails to join Foo Fighters, prompting Nine Inch Nails to immediately bring back Josh Freese as drummer. The timing created a scheduling problem because NIN planned another tour leg beginning in February 2026. Reznor chose to replace Rubin immediately rather than wait until after the late-summer North American shows and attempt to hire over the holiday break. Josh Freese was available, had prior experience with Nine Inch Nails (2005–2008), and was considered fully capable of stepping in on short notice. Freese had left Foo Fighters earlier this year after joining them in 2023.

Read at Consequence