Ilan Rubin

Biography

Ilan Samuel Rubin (born July 7, 1988) is an American musician, producer, songwriter, and composer. He is the current drummer of Foo Fighters, having joined the band in 2025, replacing Josh Freese. Prior to this, he was known for playing drums with a variety of artists, including Nine Inch Nails, Paramore, Lostprophets, Angels & Airwaves and Danny Elfman. In 2008, he formed the New Regime, in which he sings and plays all instruments in the studio and plays guitar with a band for live performances. In 2021, he released music for the first time under his name.
In 2020, Rubin was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of Nine Inch Nails, making him the youngest living inductee in its history. He is also the first Rock Hall inductee to be born in the 1980s, and the first to be born after the establishment of the Hall itself.

Early life

Rubin was raised in San Diego, California. He began playing drums at eight when he discovered his father's 1968 Silver Sparkle Ludwig drum kit in the garage. After three months of "toying" with the kit, he had taught himself to play and was jamming with his older brothers. By age nine, he was ready to play for F.o.N., a band that eventually would do three stints on the Vans Warped Tour, where Rubin would also fill in on drums for bands such as NOFX. In 1999, F.o.N. opened Woodstock '99 on the Emerging Artist Stage; as a result, 11-year-old Rubin gained entry into the Guinness Book of World Records as the youngest musician to ever play on a Woodstock stage.

Lostprophets (2006–2008)

Rubin was the drummer for the Welsh band Lostprophets. He replaced Mike Chiplin, founding member and original drummer, who left the band in 2005. Before finding Rubin, Lostprophets hired session drummer Josh Freese to record the tracks on Liberation Transmission. After Rubin joined, he played the remaining two tracks on Liberation Transmission: "For All These Times Son, For All These Times" and "Everybody's Screaming!!!", as well as the entirety of The Betrayed.
While touring with Lostprophets, Rubin played his first shows in the United Kingdom and toured large arenas for the first time. Rubin would describe the transition from his previous smaller bands to arena shows as a "big step up", but stated that Lostprophets had become "stagnant" prior to his departure for Nine Inch Nails in 2008.

The New Regime (2007–2020)

Rubin's debut solo album, under the pseudonym 'The New Regime', called Coup, was recorded throughout 2007 and 2008 and released in November 2008. While touring with Nine Inch Nails and following the conclusion of the Wave Goodbye Tour, Rubin worked on his second album, Speak Through The White Noise, which was released in April 2011. Before this, Ilan released a free single titled 'Remission Of Guilt' through his website. It has been confirmed that this track will not be on the new album. In 2011, he went on Tour with Taking Back Sunday as an opening act. In 2013 and 2015, he released the two halves of his next project, Exhibit A and Exhibit B. On March 6, 2020, The New Regime released its fifth studio album, Heart Mind Body & Soul, featuring the singles "Turning a Blind Eye" and "Heart Mind Body & Soul." Over five months before its release, Rubin released three EPs (Heart, Mind, and Body), each with four songs from the upcoming album that fit the themes of the titles. The New Regime was on tour with Silversun Pickups in March 2020 to support the new album, which abruptly halted courtesy of the COVID pandemic and resulting shutdown. Just before that tour, "Heart Mind Body & Soul" was released, which included all of the material on the previously released EPs, a final EP called "Soul," plus some bonus material. The album was receiving critical praise just before the shutdown.
The New Regime Live Lineup: Ilan Rubin: vocals, piano, guitar, Kemble Walters: bass, vocals, Rob Ketchum: drums, vocals

Nine Inch Nails (2009–2025)

On November 15, 2008, Trent Reznor announced via the Nine Inch Nails website that Rubin would be joining industrial rock band Nine Inch Nails as their drummer after the departure of Josh Freese in late 2008. Rubin's role in the live iteration of Nine Inch Nails grew to include playing piano, synths, bass, guitar, and even cello. Rubin was the longest tenured live drummer for the band. In July 2025, it was announced that Rubin would be leaving the band after his decision to join the Foo Fighters, replacing Freese. At the same time, Freese rejoined Nine Inch Nails, replacing Rubin's position.

Angels & Airwaves (2011–present)

In 2011, Rubin joined Angels & Airwaves, replacing drummer Atom Willard. He has appeared on all the band's studio releases since the 2014 album The Dream Walker. Rubin acts a multi-instrumentalist for the group during recording and frontman Tom DeLonge has credited him as a major contributor to the band's songwriting process.

Paramore (2012–2013)

On June 28, 2012, Paramore confirmed Rubin would drum on their fourth album, though he didn't join as an official member of the band. Rubin recorded all the drums on their self-titled album and joined them for its subsequent tour. The album went platinum and the song "Ain't It Fun" won a Grammy Award for Best Rock Song at the 57th Annual Grammy Awards.

Danny Elfman (2023–present)

On May 8, 2023, Danny Elfman announced that he would be doing two shows, one in Chula Vista, CA., and the other in Irvine, CA., entitled “From Boingo to Batman to Big Mess and Beyond!” In making that announcement, Elfman confirmed that Ilan Rubin would replace Josh Freese on drums.

Foo Fighters (2025–present)

On July 30, The Hollywood Reporter reported that Rubin would join the group, replacing Josh Freese. On September 13, Foo Fighters played their first show with Rubin on drums at the Fremont Theater in San Luis Obispo, California. At the show, Dave Grohl confirmed that Rubin would be the band's official drummer. "Asking for a Friend" was the first song featuring Rubin. He appeared on the band's album Your Favorite Toy, released on April 24, 2026.

Other Projects

In 2010 Rubin formed ...Students with The Transit War bassist Mike Frey, releasing their debut album New Habits later that year.

Film scores

Rubin has performed on multiple film scores and, starting during the COVID pandemic, began composing original film scores. Films he has scored include 2022's Bobcat Moretti and 2023's Monsters of California, the latter of which marked the directorial debut of his Angels & Airwaves bandmate Tom DeLonge. His work on Bobcat Moretti earned him a nomination for best original score at the Beaufort International Film Festival.