Foo Fighters new drummer, Nine Inch Nails longtime member, Career Journey, Advice
Ilan Rubin is one of the most respected drummers in modern music, and one of Elmo's oldest friends in the game. They go all the way back to their pre-teen drumming years together, which makes this one extra special. Ilan started playing at just 9 years old and has spent his career building a reputation for precision, versatility, and showing up at the highest level across wildly different musical worlds.
After 17 years as the longest-running drummer for Nine Inch Nails, working closely with Trent Reznor, Ilan has now stepped into one of the most iconic bands in music as the new drummer for Foo Fighters. He also continues his deep creative partnership with Tom DeLonge in Angels & Airwaves, where he is not just a drummer but a full collaborator and multi-instrumentalist. And on top of all of it, he is the frontman of his own band, The New Regime.
This is a conversation about how Ilan got to where he is, how he has kept the biggest gigs in music for years, and what it actually takes to stay consistently at the top for two decades. They dig into Foo Fighters, NIN, Tom DeLonge, open-handed drumming, the Warped Tour days, and plenty of stories from a career that started before most people pick up an instrument.
"This is a conversation about discipline, evolution, and becoming someone artists trust at the top of the game."
How Ilan got the gig, what Dave Grohl is really like, the family atmosphere inside the band, playing the first show, and what it feels like to step into one of the biggest bands in the world.
17 years as the longest-running drummer in NIN history, what he learned from Trent Reznor, what playing "The Perfect Drug" really demands, and stories from inside that world.
Going beyond just drumming to become a true creative collaborator, how the relationship with Tom DeLonge works, and what building songs together actually looks like.
Ilan breaks down his unconventional open-handed technique, how it developed, what it allows him to do that traditional technique does not, and the Dave Weckl influence.
Starting at 9 years old, how Elmo and Ilan first met, Warped Tour stories, landing bigger and bigger gigs, and the specific mindset that has kept him at the top for 20+ years.
Leading his own band from behind the kit, what it means to be both drummer and frontman, collaborating with Juliette Lewis, and balancing his own creative identity with elite sideman work.
Ilan walks through exactly how he got the call to join Foo Fighters, what the audition process looked like, and the moment he knew this was for real.
A deep dive into playing "Everlong," "Monkey Wrench," and "Best of You" live with Dave Grohl, and what it actually feels like to sit behind one of rock's greatest songs every night.
Ilan opens up about his 17 years with Trent Reznor, the stories he has never told anywhere else, and what working inside Nine Inch Nails actually taught him about music and professionalism.
Elmo and Ilan revisit their shared history, the Warped Tour years, the NOFX and Fat Mike stories, and what it was like to grow up inside that world together as young drummers.
Ilan explains his open-handed drumming technique in plain terms, why he developed it, and how it fundamentally changed the way he approaches the instrument.
A candid conversation about professionalism, work ethic, and the specific mentality required to not just land elite gigs but to keep them for years at a time.
Available on all major platforms.