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Josh Freese

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Josh Freese

Josh Freese (born December 25, 1972) is an American session drummer and songwriter. He is a permanent member of The Vandals, Devo, Viva Death and A Perfect Circle, and recently left Nine Inch Nails behind as the tour line-up was disbanded. Freese has appeared on more than 200 records.

Background

Josh Freese was born in Orlando, Florida, but has lived in Southern California since he was 6 months old. Having been brought up in a musical family (his father conducted the Disneyland Band, and his mother was a classical pianist), he was surrounded by music from an early age and began playing the drums around the time he was 7 or 8 years old. He started playing professionally at the age of 12 (in a Top 40 band at Disneyland). There he played electronic drums which led to an endorsement deal with the Simmons electronic drum company. There is an old Simmons commercial (directed by Mitch Brisker), featuring Freese on the additional content section of The Vandals' Live at the House of Blues DVD.

At the age of 15, Freese started touring and making records, first with Dweezil Zappa and then with The Vandals. Freese has worked with many respected artists in the last 15 years, as a first call session drummer and sometimes as a temporary replacement. Josh has a younger brother Jason Freese who plays keyboards with such artists as Green Day, Jewel, Goo Goo Dolls, Liz Phair and Dr. Dre. Josh currently lives in Southern California with his girlfriend and their two sons.

Solo

In 1998, Freese went solo by recording a number of songs that he wrote and performed himself (including bass, guitar, keyboards and vocals). The result is the 6-song EP Destroy The Earth As Soon As Possible, released under the name 'Princess' by T.O.N/Stone Lizard Records.

In 2000, the songs "Caffeine and Vaseline" and "Rock N' Roll Chicken" were revived for the 12-song album The Notorious One Man Orgy, this time released under Freese's own name by Kung Fu Records. With guest appearances by the likes of Stone Gossard, Warren Fitzgerald, Michael Ward, Lyle Workman, and his brother Jason, the N.O.M.O. offers a hard driving pop-punk musical insight into what it is like to be Josh Freese on a daily basis.

Work history

Freese started his drumming career with "Polo" whose featured performances were at the Tomorrowland Terrace Stage in Disneyland from 1985-1987. Freese has since been a member of punk rock band The Vandals since 1989, and has played on all the band's albums since then, with the exception of 2000's Look What I Almost Stepped In..., on which current Bad Religion drummer Brooks Wackerman deputised due to Freese's commitments with A Perfect Circle. In 2004, The Vandals released a live DVD as part of Kung Fu Records' The Show Must Go Off! series. The DVD is of particular interest to Josh Freese fans thanks to the inclusion of the Josh Freese-cam, a camera focused on Freese for the entire duration of the show, also including a picture-in-picture of Freese's kick drum pedal. The band starting work on a new album for a release in 2007.

Freese was a member of Guns N' Roses from 1997 to 2000, replacing Matt Sorum and signing a 2-year contract. He recorded the song "Oh My God" for the End of Days soundtrack and pieces for the unreleased Chinese Democracy album, supposedly having co-written the music to the title track. He left the band in 2000 to launch A Perfect Circle and was replaced by Bryan Mantia.

He has drummed for A Perfect Circle since their first album, and is considered one of the core members. As of 2006, the band is "on hiatus". Since then, founder Billy Howerdel has started up a new band with drums contributed by Freese.

Freese took over from drummer Ron Welty for the recording of the The Offspring's 2003 album "Splinter" after the latter's departure from the band. Freese is credited for playing drums on the album, but Atom Willard has taken the position as the band's fulltime drummer. In August 2007, Atom left the band, and was replaced by Pete Parada,so Freese was called to record the new Offspring's album.

Freese participated in Sting's "Broken Music Tour" in April 2005 with guitarist Dominic Miller and guitarist Shane Fontayne. The tour kicked off April 1 in San Jose, California and ended on May 14th in New York. Josh also appeared with Sting during the record breaking 'Live 8' concert. In an interview with a drum magazine he would describe this as 'the greatest show of his life'. In fall of 2005 he recorded new material with Sting in Italy at the singer's Tuscany estate but plans for release have yet to be set.

Josh Freese has recently contributed drum tracks for Lostprophets' third album, Liberation Transmission, recording all his parts in two days. Travis Barker was originally earmaked as the session drummer of choice for the album, but producer (Bob Rock), who had worked with Freese before, wanted him instead.

Freese's latest project was announced on April 1st, when it was reported that he had provided the drum tracks on two new Replacements tracks, due to appear on the upcoming greatest-hits package.

Freese toured with Nine Inch Nails on their 2005-2006 With Teeth tour after the illness of drummer Jerome Dillon. Freese contributed live drum tracks to the songs "HYPERPOWER!" and "Capital G" on the new Nine Inch Nails album Year Zero, which was released in 2007. Freese continued touring with Nine Inch Nails throughout 2007 in support of Year Zero, mainly outside of the U.S.

Freese also completed drum tracks for the band Black Light Burns, which consists of Wes Borland (Limp Bizkit, Big Dumb Face, From First to Last), Danny Lohner (Nine Inch Nails) and Josh Eustis (Telefon Tel Aviv).

Freese was credited for "phantom percussion" on the 1995 album Blackgrass by Dwarves front-man Blag Dahlia's pseudonym Earl Lee Grace.

He has been the drummer in DEVO since 1995, with the notable exception of their 2003 shows in Japan.

Equipment

Drum Workshop Drums, Pedals, and Hardware
Paiste cymbals
Remo drumheads
Vater H220 drumsticks

Drum Workshop Drums

1. 18" x 22" DW Bass Drum
2. 6" x 14" Paiste Spirit of 2002 Snare
3. 5" x 14" DW Aluminum Shell Snare
4. 8" x 10" DW Tom
5. 10" x 13" DW Tom
6. 14" x 16" DW Tom
7. 16" x 18" DW Floor Tom

Paiste Signature Series Cymbals

A. 14" Dark Crisp Hi-Hats
B. 18" Full Crash
C. 18" Power Crash
D. 21" Dry Heavy Ride
E. 19" Full Crash
F. 20" Dry Crisp Ride
G. 20" Power Crash
H. 18" Sound Formula Thin China 20" (top), inverted Full Ride w/rivets (bottom)

Discography

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Preceded by Guns N' Roses Drummer
1997-2000 		Succeeded by
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