Following the triumphant, much heralded return of virtuosic guitar player John Frusciante, the Red Hot Chili Peppers have announced that they're working on new music.
The significance of Frusciante's return cannot be overstated; he is widely considered one of the finest guitar players of his generation, and in a 2010 BBC poll was named the greatest guitarist of the last 30 years. Then, in 2015, Rolling Stone placed him in 72nd place on their list of the 100 greatest guitarists.
John Frusciante first joined the Chili Peppers in 1988, before quitting and subsequently returning in 1998. This new period with the group will represent his third spell in a band that is remarkable in its longevity and energy.
Together, they made some of the finest albums of the last 30 years, including Californication, By the Way and Stadium Arcadium - the last record the band made together before Frusciante's departure.
Announcing his return to the group, the Chilis wrote on Instagram;
“The Red Hot Chili Peppers announce that we are parting ways with our guitarist of the past ten years, Josh Klinghoffer.
“Josh is a beautiful musician who we respect and love. We are deeply grateful for our time with him, and the countless gifts he shared with us.
“We also announce, with great excitement and full hearts, that John Frusciante is rejoining our group.”
The news was met with huge excitement from fans of the band, both presumably through powerful pangs of nostalgia for halcyon days past, and also with anticipation about what is to come.
And now, drummer Chad Smith has delivered the news we've all been waiting to hear: the band is working on new music. Smith told Rolling Stone in a recent interview;
“I was given strict orders for this interview: ‘DON’T TALK ABOUT THE BAND.'
“But, yes, John is back in the band, and everyone knows that. We’re psyched. The festivals are the only shows booked. For now, we’ll mostly be concentrating on new songs and writing a new record. We’re all real excited to make new music.”
When asked to clarify whether that meant the band was writing a new album, Smith replied "Yes," adding, “That’s all I can say.”
