With a mother and father having a deep love for music, it seemed only fitting that their son, Josh Freese, would follow in their footsteps. While his father conducted the Disney World band and his mother worked as a classical pianist, Freese went a different route, playing alongside bands like Nine Inch Nails, Weezer, Sublime with Rome, Danny Elfman, and even Sting. Although a top drummer who once performed with Guns N’ Roses, the musician recently discussed how shocked he was when asked to play with the Foo Fighters. And to make it even more surprising, apparently, everyone knew but him.
Videos by American Songwriter
Speaking with Rick Beato about his time in the spotlight, Freese explained how he only heard rumors about him playing with Foo Fighters. “On my children’s lives, I had zero plans of being called to be the drummer. Everyone and their mother, my neighbor walking the dog [were like], ‘Hey Josh, the Foo Fighters call you yet?’” He continued, “Other people were hitting me up, other drummers, Reddit forums… I’m going, ‘I don’t even know if they’re gonna continue.’ … Most people I knew said, ‘They’re gonna have to.’”
Josh Freese Explained How Invite Knocked The Wind Out Of Him
While rubbing shoulders with Dave Grohl at that Taylor Hawkins tribute in 2022, Freese noted how he didn’t bring up wanting to play with them. Although knowing that Grohl was working on music, he said, “I was on a walk with my wife and some of our dogs, and I go, ‘Ah, Dave just tried calling me like 20 minutes ago.’ And she’s like, ‘I know why he’s calling you.’ I was like, ‘Easy. I’m not thinking that.’ I swear to God, that’s not why I thought.”
[RELATED: Josh Freese Joins A Perfect Circle for Spring 2024 Tour]
Although eventually asked to play with the Foo Fighters, Freese insisted the moment “felt like someone kind of 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.’”
While giving his first performance with Grohl in May 2023, Freese recalled fighting the nerves. “If you start going down that path, it could intimidate you and freak you out. ‘My God, I’m Dave Grohl’s drummer!’ But he makes it so comfortable and good and natural, the way we play together. … It’s all good stuff.”
(Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images for MGM Resorts International)
