Red Hot Chili Peppers appear to be teasing new music, sharing a brief audio snippet over the weekend. The 18-second-long clip shows a neon sign of the Peppers’ distinctive logo while a guitar riff plays in the background. “We been nurturing the feral animal for quite a while, it’s about time to set her free,” bassist Flea wrote on Instagram when sharing the clip.
If the band are indeed teasing new music, it would mark their first since the return of John Frusciante. The guitarist rejoined the Chili Peppers for his third stint in 2019, a decade since his most recent departure from the group, replacing previous guitarist Josh Klinghoffer. Listening to the guitar riff played in the snippet, it certainly sounds like Frusciante’s distinctive tone and melodic technique. Have a listen for yourself below.
Last October in an interview with Rolling Stone, drummer Chad Smith said the band were “almost done” recording their next album, saying the band were “getting along great” and “really listening to each other in a new way.” The record, once released, will mark Red Hot Chili Peppers’ first since 2016’s The Getaway, and their first with Frusciante since 2006’s Stadium Arcadium.
“John’s been back for a while now, so it feels completely natural. He’s so into it. He’s working so hard. We’re all working hard, but he’s in there with all the overdubs and the magic that he brings,” Smith said at the time.
“John hasn’t been in our group in ten years. That’s a long time. So of course it’s going to sound different, but it’s gonna sound like the four of us because we do have this special chemistry together. It sounds like Red Hot Chili Peppers, but it’s different and new, and to me that’s great… We really like it and we’re proud of it and it has to start there.”
