June 24, 2011 13:41

Red Hot Chili Peppers’ Flea admits ‘dysfunctional’ period nearly caused band split

Bassist says they “needed to stop” before making another record

Photo Gallery: Red Hot Chili Peppers
Photo: Pa Photos

Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist Flea has revealed that he considered leaving the band before they started work on their new album ‘I’m With You’.

The Chili Peppers will release the new LP, which is their first since 2006’s double album ‘Stadium Arcadium’, this August. But in an interview with Spinner, Flea admitted that he had had doubts over whether he wanted to continue in the band.

Flea, who requested that the band took two years off once they had finished touring ‘Stadium Arcadium’, said: “We've been going really hard for a lot of years with small breaks here and there, but never a major break. And I just felt like I wanted to take two years away just to really look and see if the band was something we should still be doing.

“Things had gotten dysfunctional and not fun, even though I thought we were making great records, doing great shows and were a really powerful, mighty thing as a band. I was proud of what we did. I thought we honoured our position in the rock world. I felt like we always gave our hearts, but we just needed to get away from it.”

However, he also revealed that his friendship with singer Anthony Kiedis inspired him to work on new material, adding: “I just realised, Anthony, man, he's my brother, I love him so much, and we started this band when we were kids. I wanted to keep that going, I never want to let that go.

“I said, ‘Together let's do this, let's make this album, I love you, and let's fucking rock.’ And as cliché as that might sound, I think for us as a band, and for he and I, both of us, we decided to do it.”

‘I’m With You’ will be the Red Hot Chili Pepper’s 10th studio album, and will be released on August 29. It will be their first record since 1995’s ‘One Hot Minute’ not to feature former guitarist John Frusciante, who quit the band in 2009. He has been replaced by former touring guitarist and ex-Warpaint six-stringer Josh Klinghoffer.

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