Former Red Hot Chili Peppers guitarist Josh Klinghoffer recently spoke to Guitar World magazine and reflected on his time with the band. The musician also talked about the group’s reputation for being experimental with their music and how he felt disappointed after learning the truth.
Following the departure of then-previous guitarist John Frusciante, Josh Klinghoffer served Red Hot Chili Peppers with his riffs for ten years. He continued to perform with the band until the former guitarist decided to return. The band then dismissed the guitar player in 2019.
Surprised by the news and a little disappointed, Klinghoffer had previously revealed that he understood their decision and was very aware of the language John and the band were sharing, giving the band its character.
Almost three years after leaving RHCP, Klinghoffer looked back at his days with the band and made various statements in his last interview with Guitar World magazine. According to Klinghoffer, he was enormously stifled in terms of his creativity while being the Red Hot Chili Peppers guitarist.
Explaining that the band had a signature sound from their days with John, the guitarist also revealed that he tried to avoid ‘certain chords’ that would sound like Frusciante from time to time. However, according to him, it was nearly impossible to deviate from this established sound.
Stating that the band is not open to experimentation and that they usually prefer to stay in their own lines, the guitarist mentioned that these days in his old band were creatively restrictive for him. He said that although he loved his friends in the band, they couldn’t write a story together.
Josh Klinghoffer told the Guitar World magazine:
“Obviously, it’s sad when something is taken from you. I did a perfect ten years with them, but for as much as I love those guys and loved playing with them, it was also enormously stifling creatively. They’re an established band with an established sound, and I learned over time how little deviating from that was possible.
I thought I was doing a good job writing with them, but it wound up not kind of becoming part of my story, or if it is part of my story with them, it’s a small part. As much as I thought they were up for experimentation, they generally stayed in their own lane.”
After leaving RHCP, Klinghoffer joined Pearl Jam in 2020 as a touring guitarist and multi-instrumentalist musician. His collaboration with Pearl Jam was very well received by the audience, mainly because it brought a new sound to the band. He continues his music career with various collaborations with Eddie Vedder, Pearl Jam, and The Earthlings.
