101. Ilan Rubin: Foo Fighters new drummer, Nine Inch Nails longtime member, Career Journey, Advice

Episode 101: Ilan Rubin.

Ilan Rubin is the new drummer for Foo Fighters and one of the most respected musicians in modern music. He and I go way back to our early teen and even pre-teen drumming years, so this is an extra fun one for me.

He spent 17 years with Nine Inch Nails as their longest-running drummer, earning a reputation for precision, versatility, and the ability to step into any musical environment at the highest level. From there, he has continued to evolve, now joining Foo Fighters and stepping into one of the most iconic bands in music. Alongside that, Ilan has been a core part of Angels & Airwaves, working closely with Tom DeLonge not just as a drummer, but as a collaborator, multi-instrumentalist, and creative partner. Their relationship goes beyond just playing live. It is about building songs, shaping sound, and pushing ideas forward together.

In this conversation, we talk about Ilan’s journey as a musician, how he built his career starting at just 9 years old, how he has landed some of the biggest gigs in music, and how he has kept those gigs for years. We dive into how he got the gig with Foo Fighters, how much fun he's having with them, and the positive vibe they all have together. We get into what he learned from working with Trent Reznor, all sorts of stories from playing with Nine Inch Nails, his open handed drumming technique, being the frontman of his own band The New Regime, fun stories with Tom DeLonge, and some great stories of him and I over the years. We also dive into how he approaches his role inside elite bands, his work ethic, how he thinks about growth, his approach to music, and what it takes to stay consistently at the top for two decades.

This is a fun conversation about discipline, evolution, and becoming someone artists trust at the top of the game. I hope you enjoy my conversation with the great Ilan Rubin! Let’s go.

Go with Elmo Lovano’ is a weekly podcast where Elmo interviews creatives and entrepreneurs in music on HOW they push forward every day, got where they are in their careers, manage their personal lives, and share lessons learned and their most important insights.

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