Last October, Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist Flea revealed that the band was planning to release a new album in 2015. In that interview with Rolling Stone, Flea said about the new album: “It’s cool. It’s super danceable, funky shit and some real introspective, pretty stuff. It feels good, man, and it’s fun to play it.” 

Then, about this time last year, we learned that this new record would be produced by Brian Burton, aka Danger Mouse. Danger Mouse has been prominent in the music scene over the past few years, having worked with the Black Keys on their last three albums. He’s also an essential member to Broken Bells, a collaboration between Danger Mouse and James Mercer of The Shins.

According to frontman Anthony Kiedis, he is finally “in the home stretch” of finishing his vocals on the new record, and they are soon going to go “back and listen to the songs, and see if we can beat them,” he explained on radio with Joney’s Jukebox. This new record comes nearly five years after their previous album, I’m With You. 

He continues, “We had written two dozen songs before we got with him. [Danger Mouse] is like, ‘Let’s keep a few of those, but let’s go write all new songs in the studio.’ We’re looking at each other like, ‘Dude, we kind of already wrote the songs, bro.’ He’s like, ‘No, I like to write new ones in the studio.’ So, in honor of accommodating this new process, we wrote all new songs, and it’s a good thing we did.”

This collaborative effort is certainly one we look forward to hearing. The LP is untitled for now, but we can expect more details in the coming months. RHCP are also scheduled to play large festivals in both the US and UK this summer.

Coming up, however, is their benefit concert for presidential candidate Bernie Sanders on February 5th. Kiedis says of their headlining performance, “This cat Bernie Sanders stood out as being honest and likable, and actually human, a human being who cared about other human beings…So right away, we said if we ever get a chance to play a benefit for this guy, we’ll do it. If he’s real, and he makes it that far, we’ll play a show for him. Low and behold, nine months go by, he needs us to play, so we’re there for him.”

Kiedis continued on Feeling The Bern, “We offered to pay for the rent of the hotel, and Bernie would not accept, he said, ‘No, I can’t take your money. That’s not how I work, I’m not taking those size contributions from any groups or organizations. If I get the nomination, you are able to donate up to $2,700.’ [That is] very unpolitical like of him.”

Red Hot Chili Peppers 2016 Tour Dates:
02/05 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Theatre at Ace Hotel (Feel the Bern)
04/24 – New Orleans, LA @ New Orleans Jazz Festival
05/21-23 – Columbus, OH @ Rock on the Range
05/27-29 – Napa Valley, CA @ BottleRock Napa Valley Festival
06/03-05 – Mendig, DE @ Rock am Ring Music Festival
06/03-05 – Nuremburg, DE @ Rock im Park Festival
06/08 – Interlaken, CH @ Greenfield Festival
06/10-12 – Landgraaf, NL @ Pinkpop Festival
06/10-12 – Nickelsdorf, AT @ Nova Rock Festival
06/29-07/02 – Roskilde, DK @ Roskilde Festival
06/30-07/03 – Gdynia, PL @ Open’er Festival
07/02 – Werchter, BE @ Rock Werchter
07/06 – Kiev, UA @ U-Park Festival
07/09 – Moscow, RU @ Park Live
08/26-27 – Reading, UK @ Reading Festival
08/26-27 – Leeds, UK @ Leeds Festival

[Via CoS]