Former Red Hot Chili Peppers guitarist Josh Klinghoffer has broken his silence on his dismissal from the band in December, when it was announced that longtime guitarist John Frusciante was returning to the group for a third tour of duty.
In an interview with podcaster Marc Maron, Klinghoffer called his firing after 10 years a “pretty simple” decision for the Peppers, saying, “It’s absolutely John’s place to be in that band. So that’s why I’m happy for him, I’m happy that he’s back with them.”
Klinghoffer said the news came as a “complete shock but not a surprise.” He said that he was told in person in a “really sweet” manner, explaining, “I rode my bike over (to Flea‘s house). They just said, ‘We’ll get right to it. We’ve decided to ask John to come back to the band.'”
Klinghoffer continued, “I just sat there quiet for a second and I said, ‘I’m not surprised.’ And the only thing I could think to say was, ‘I wish I could have done something with you guys, musically or creatively, that would have made this an absolute impossibility.'”
Klinghoffer did reveal that he had been working on music for a new Chili Peppers album, which would have been his third with the band since joining in 2010. But none of that material has been recorded and is likely to be scrapped in favor of new songs written with Frusciante.
Drummer Chad Smith told us a while back about Klinghoffer's playing style: “Josh is not a hit you over the head kind of guy. He comes at you like a fog, you know. It kind of envelopes you and he's like a sonic architect more than like a riff guy. But he comes up with the coolest, smart, cool — like he can rock hard, no doubt about it. Josh can get his rock on. But Josh is an incredible musician.”
The Chili Peppers have been booking festival shows for this spring and summer, although the band has yet to indicate when its 12th studio album will see the light of day.