Catch up…

Josh was interviewed by Marc Maron a few days after the news broke that he was no longer in the Red Hot Chili Peppers. However, the interview was only aired last week. The interview is over an hour long and in-depth talking about the split in part, but mostly about Josh’s musical career before, during and after RHCP. For the most part, Josh sounds happy and upbeat (especially when he was talking about his experiences of playing throughout the years), although there are some emotional moments (and it was hard listening in a number of places).

 

Summary of RHCP relevant information:

Josh was fired from the band. [The sources were accurate].

There was no reason given e.g. musical differences. It was purely because John Frusciante requested to come back.

The actual firing was a bombshell to Josh, as well as fans, as he had no idea that members of the band were working with Frusciante in secret. Josh did know that Frusciante was around (he spoke to him briefly at Flea’s wedding in October and he knew that JF had met up with Anthony Kiedis), and that he had started playing the guitar again, so comments that he’s not surprised, but he was still shocked when he was fired. He talks about this wave of love for the band hitting him.

It was at the instigation of Flea initially.

RHCP together with Josh had recorded a lot of material; over a year’s worth. Josh expects this won’t be used.

John apparently was surprised that the band carried on without him after he left as he expected them to stop because he had.

Josh talks about the process of joining RHCP and the events leading up to it.

 

Quotes:

Note: I’ve tried to make these as accurate as possible; I’ve concentrated on the relevant parts only.

 

(From the opening section of the interview)

Marc Maron: Did you know it was happening?

Josh Klinghoffer: No, Not at all. Complete shock, but not a surprise I guess

 

(From the last 15 minutes of the interview; again relevant sections only)

Josh Klinghoffer: If this change, you know John coming back and you know me leaving, had happened five years ago, half my time in, it probably would have destroyed me because it would have confirmed all the things that my mind used to tell me. That I suck, that I’m worthless, you know all those things, but, now I’ve done two… We were over a year into writing another a third, another album, so I’ve done a lot of writing with them.

Marc Maron: So there’s work that’s done that hasn’t been recorded yet?

Josh Klinghoffer: Yes, that’s just going to go away, I guess…

Marc Maron: So they liked writing with you so obviously you guys were doing stuff.

Josh Klinghoffer: Yeah, yeah… It’s a funny thing. I think it was all positive. It comes down to the history. It’s a funny position to be in, to be the person that… 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…

Marc Maron: So you think the intent is to do a new record with John?

Josh Klinghoffer: Yeah, I think that’s the thing… John and Flea specifically had a musical language and connection that as made when John was 17, 18. Flea, I don’t even think he was 30 yet. Hillel had just died… I’ll never be able to contend with the history that he and John had.

[Talks about the B-side album, I’m Beside You, which was his idea. Says the band were open to him and trusting of his ideas]

 

Josh Klinghoffer: Like I said if this had happened five years ago… but double that time. Ten years, two tours, almost three albums of writing, I’m really proud of what I did with them and I feel like we did create something and we did… and I feel like I brought something to the whole [band and touring] and I’m really proud of that.

Marc Maron: Five years ago you would have fallen into yourself?

[Josh agrees. Josh talks about having lunch with Flea a couple of days later]

Josh Klinghoffer: They all sat down with me. It was really sweet. I rode my bike over coz Flea’s living really close to me at the moment. They just said, ‘We’ll get right to it. We’ve decided to ask John to come back to the band.’ And 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.’ … But that’s next to impossible.

[Josh said he knew John had reached out to Anthony recently and had started playing guitar again as he hasn’t for a long time. Mentions John was at Flea’s wedding in October.]

Marc Maron: I’m gad you’re OK with it.

Josh Klinghoffer: I’ll have little moments… [quotes John and says how great it is to make music with friends]. When I was 10 or 11 all I wanted to be in a band playing with friends and I still want to do that.

 

You can hear the full interview here: WTF Interview with Josh Klinghoffer by Marc Maron

 

Josh News Update:

It’s not relevant for me to post Josh news here unless connected with RHCP in someway (which this interview clearly is), but as I am commenting I’ll add this in case people don’t know. Josh is to support Pearl Jam on the US leg of their upcoming tour with his Pluralone project.