Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist Flea has completed two long-unfinished songs from Aleka's Attic, a band led by late actor River Phoenix.
The two tracks will be released digitally and on 10-inch vinyl through LaunchLeft, an artist alliance founded by River’s sister and former Aleka’s Attic bandmate, Rain. They'll arrive on August 23rd in honor of what would have been River's 50th birthday.
River Phoenix became a star in movies like Stand By Me, My Own Private Idaho and Running On Empty before dying of a drug overdose outside the Viper Room in Los Angeles on October 31st, 1993.
He had gone there to jam with Flea and others. Chili Peppers guitarist John Frusciante allegedly gave him the drugs he overdosed on, while Flea rode in the ambulance with him to the hospital.
Frusciante recently rejoined the Chili Peppers after a 10-year absence, with the band in the midst of preparing a new album.
Flea told us that playing in the band and being creative are two things he can't live without: “Playing in the Red Hot Chili Peppers and playing bass is a very animal, comfortable, instinctual, intense thing for me and a huge part of who I am. Every time I am involved in any creative process, it always deepens me as a person, just widens my palette of colors to paint with, you know, and I'm always loving doing it. I like being creative, it's when I'm happy.”