The video for RHCP’s ‘Dark Necessities’ single is now out. It only appears to be on the band’s Facebook page so I can’t currently embed it (will do so when I can).

New two-part interview with the Red Hot Chili Peppers (Anthony does one voice over; the rest is Chad Smith, Josh Klinghoffer and Flea)

Transcript:

Part one:

Question: On the radio

Flea: The first time I ever heard myself on the radio was in 1979 when I played in a group called Anthym.

Chad Smith: I was in Detroit, Michigan where I grew up and I was in a band called Toby Redd, with two ‘d’s. And we were kind of a modern rock band in the late 80s.

Flea: I remember it so well. We all were gathered round and drinking beers and stuff and waiting for it as we knew we were going to come on the radio in this three hour time period. We were so psyched and our song came on the radio and we couldn’t believe it. And the song was called ‘Clocks’ and the guy said, “And here’s a band called Anthym with a neat little ditty called Clocks.” And it came on and it was like this neat New Wave ditty [Flea sings, “do de doo dee de dee…” something like that!] and that was it and you know it was really exciting.

Chad Smith: It was pretty exciting. I remember we did an interview with the station late at night and then I drove home and I remember sitting in my driveway and listening to the radio station and hearing our interview which was obviously taped and waiting for them liketo talk to us. [Mock voice] “And a new band got a new record deal and this is their new song dada dada dah.” And I was like wow this is so cool. I cranked it up and wasby myself in the parking lot area of the driveway in my house at like midnight listening to our song. It was like pretty, pretty exciting to think you could even be on a station that played all of what I thought were like my favourite bands and heroes and I didn’t feel worthy, you know? [Laughs]

Flea: It’s funny coz I always think of that like you know we just put out our single for this new record last week, the song ‘Dark Necessities’, and I always have that feeling. I knew the song was coming out last Wednesday at 7a.m. I was up at 6.30 lying in my bed, put on my phone, put on the radio and I was like I wonder if they are going to play it when it comes out and sure enough, at 7a.m bam! there is the song. You know music is such an interior thing, you know, you sit by a room with your piano, your bass, whatever you write music, you get together with your friends and you kind of circle the wagons and you hold up in a room and you write and create and you write them songs. Then you get in the studio and once again, you know once again you circle them wagons, make a little bigger circle, and bring in a producer and shit and get into it and make this thing. And it’s all so personal, you know, and all of a sudden it’s all done and bam! it’s out in the world and it becomes there for everybody and it’s a really wild feeling, you know? It’s like thing that’s become so personal interior becoming for everybody and people are gonna like it or not like it or yell at ya or love ya or hug ya or tell ya to get lost. So it’s a crazy experience but every time I’m still excited to hear it on the radio and I still get this feeling man. I’m like 53 years old and I still just like, “we’re on the radio!” and my daughter’s running around and I’m like, “Sunny! SunnY! Get in here,” my 10 year old daughter, “we’re on the radio!” And she’s like, “Which one papa?” [squeaky voice]. And we’re dancing around the kitchen hearing it and stuff and making oatmeal. So it’s you know, it’s exciting.

Chad Smith: So yeah, you know that feeling never really goes away for me. Feel like a little kid. It’s like Christmas, oh my god… [laughs]

QUESTION: Last thing you heard on the radio?

Josh Klinghoffer: The score of a play-off game.

Chad Smith: Whoever was singing, what’s that song from Frozen? [someone speaks in the background]. That one! The Frozen song. I think Hamilton is the new Frozen for adults.

Flea: Dee dee do dee dee dee doo do….

Part Two:

Question: What does ‘The Getaway mean to you?

Chad Smith: Well, The Getaway obviously means the title of our new record.

Flea: Well, The Getaway means something intangible to me. But the thing is it makes me think about the band. The band’s always it’s been a real sanctuary for me, in the chaos of the world, growing up as a street kid kind of stuff, being able to bond with my friends and having a place to feel safe to be myself. You know we get mad, hurt each other’s feelings; it’s a real family and a brotherhood. The band has always been a place for me to getaway to. I mean not running away from ourselves but changing and growing and learning and becoming kinder, stronger and more beautiful people.

Chad Smith: You know there is a lot of stuff kinda going on in the world right now with refugees and a lot of people are struggling and when I think of it right now, that’s it. The sad part of it.

Josh Klinghoffer: The first title that we all agreed on. I don’t know. I suppose it means kinda like norms or practices that the band is used to. The way the record is made. The way some of the songs were written. The person that produced the labum.

Flea: I’m excited that on the album, which is a relatively short album for us as we tried to cut it down, we cut off songs that we really loved, but it’s thirteen songs long and every song really occupies its own emotional space.

Chad Smith: Yeah The Getaway is coming out. Dark Necessities has been out as a single; you know I’m really happy with that song. I think it has lots of elements of the Chili Peppers but also is real different and has some growth and change in it. So I think it’s a really good example of where we’re at now as a band.

Josh Klinghoffer: There’s a song called ‘The Hunter’ which I think is a beautiful song, sort of different to anything the bands done before.

Chad Smith: ‘Dreams of a Samurai’ which is the last song on the record, which if it was up to me I wouldn’t have put it last- you see when you’re in a band, there’s a democratic situation and everybody has their vote and I didn’t want it to get lost (?) because I think it’s a really cool song for us.

Josh Klinghoffer: Yeah. No nor did I.

Chad Smith: Again, different a lot of growth.

Josh Klinghoffer: Yeah. That’s truly an interesting song with choir, with some strings, maybe.

Chad Smith: I think we played the song maybe twice so it’s caught a real good spontaneous moment for us.

Flea: I don’t really have favourites. I just love the creative process as a time capsule of where we’ve been during this portion of our lives, you know?

Chad Smith: I don’t know who came up with the title, it might have been Anthony, our singer.

Anthony Kiedis voiceover: Our new song Dark Necessities is about a group of unemployed astronauts sitting around a Ralph’s parking lot trying to eat ice-cream through their astronautical helmets and not having great success.

Question: What is included with the Limited Edition release of ‘The Getaway’?

Josh Klinghoffer: Apparently a cassingle

Chad Smith: I think that was Flea’s idea. A cassette. And then you get some of his toenails that he probably clipped last week and a couple of strands of Anthony’s pubic hair, and one of Josh’s old tennis shoes. Nothing from me.