didn’t see it coming. In a resurfaced interview with Rick Beato, the drummer opened up about the emotional whirlwind that followed Dave Grohl’s unexpected call asking him to join . What might seem like a dream gig came with deep hesitation—and a lot of heart.

Surprised by the Call No One Expected

Freese made it clear that he had absolutely no idea he’d even be considered to join Foo Fighters after the tragic passing of Taylor Hawkins.

“On my children’s lives, I had zero plans of being called to be the drummer,” Freese said. “And everyone and their mother — my neighbor walking the dog, ‘Hey Josh, the Foo Fighters call you yet?’ Other people hitting me up, other drummers, Reddit forums, ‘Josh Freese is gonna be the guy.’ I’m going, ‘I don’t even know if they’re gonna continue after Taylor’s death.’”

While others speculated and assumed, Freese chose not to chase the opportunity. He deliberately stayed quiet and focused on his already thriving music career.

“And most people I knew said, ‘Oh, they’re gonna have to. They’re gonna figure it out.’ I was, like, ‘Well, maybe. Who knows?’ I wasn’t gonna be another guy coming at Dave, going, ‘So dude, if you need a drummer, I’m around. I’m just saying.’ I didn’t mention it once and was busy enough and making a good enough living already that I wasn’t freaked out about it,” he continued. “I wasn’t going, ‘God, I hope they call. I hope they call.’”

The Call That Changed Everything

Just before Christmas in 2022, Grohl finally made that life-changing call. But Freese didn’t react with pure excitement—instead, the moment hit him hard.

“I guess it was right before Christmas that year, 2022, and I got a call from him. I got a missed call. … I called him back, and we small-talked about Christmas and our kids and do they still believe in Santa Claus? I said, ‘Hey, did you go record?’ He goes, ‘Yeah, we recorded a bunch of stuff. And I played drums, and I’m really happy with the way it sounds. I’m really excited about it. And we had the drummer talk. And we want you to be the guy,’” he said.

“And it felt like someone socked me in the stomach. I didn’t go, ‘Wow, yippee, this is so cool.’ I didn’t get excited like that. It was almost like I got the wind knocked out of me. And I was, like, ‘Oh my God.’ I was, like, ‘Here we go.’ ‘Cause I knew… I had time to think about it and all that, but I was, like, come on.”

Making the Big Decision

After the holidays, Freese met up with Grohl to talk it all over and hear the new Foo Fighters record. That meeting sealed the deal. “After the holidays, Dave and I got together and talked, and he played me the new record, we were talking, and even there’s sometimes when you go, ‘You know you’ve gotta do this, right?’” Freese said.

He officially joined the band in May 2023. Freese stepped into the spotlight during a difficult time for the Foo Fighters and was widely praised for his performances on their tour and tribute concerts for Taylor Hawkins.

A Sudden Ending

Although many believed Hawkins’ son, Oliver Shane Hawkins, might step in permanently—especially after his moving MTV performance in 2022—Freese ultimately took the spot. But in May 2025, he was informed that the band was heading in a different direction.

According to Loudwire, Freese said he was “shocked and disappointed” when he was let go. Still, he remained respectful of the band’s decision.

In a public statement, Freese reflected on his long career and the unique situation: this was the first time he had ever been fired from a band. Even then, he handled it with grace, understanding the complicated dynamics that come with being part of a major rock act.