Red Hot Chili Peppers guitarist John Frusciante confirmed that the band continues to work on new material. Last year, after a decade-long break, Frusciante rejoined the group, replacing the man who took over for him, Josh Klinghoffer.
During a recent interview with Australia’s Double J Radio, Frusciante explained that the band spent a few months in personal self-quarantine and then, “Went back to rehearsing, and are moving ahead and writing new music. What I found exciting when I started playing with them (again) is to see what I could do with a guitar. For me, for the last 12 years, guitar was just something I practiced music with and it’s not such a big part of the music I make. So it was that idea of how many different worlds you can pull out of a Stratocaster.”
Frusciante went on to describe on a technical side, the gear he's been using for the project has lit a new kind of fire under him: “Other records I’d use multiple guitars, but so far in this studio, I’ve done everything on one guitar. (I’m) just trying to make that guitar speak in different ways and say something different in every tune. It’s a musical challenge of sorts.”
Frusciante also shed light on how he and drummer Chad Smith are connecting on a whole other level, explaining, “Chad and I are having an interactive thing different than we did before. Before I didn’t even know the difference between a ride cymbal and a crash cymbal. Now, I’m a drummer in my own way through breakbeats and drum machines. A lot of the drums are crazier than what we did before.”
Chad Smith told us a while back why John Frusciante has been such an important part of the Peppers over the years: “He’s really inspiring to play — he’s an inspiring person. He’s amazing. He’s just all about music and art all day long and all night. It’s just what he lives for. It’s just really inspiring to be around somebody like that.”
