Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist Flea has confirmed that the band is actively working on new material. He shared details about their creative process in a recent interview with Apple Music.
The musician discussed the band’s current songwriting sessions and described the new direction they’re exploring.
“(We’re) getting together, putting songs together, feels really good, feels different,” Flea said. “All I can say is that it’s different… really different.”
He continued to express enthusiasm about their collaborative efforts.
“We’re putting together music, and it feels beautiful,” he added.
The confirmation comes as fans eagerly await new material from the iconic rock band. The band is now deep into recording what will be their 13th studio album.
The new album is tentatively scheduled for a late 2026 release, likely in the fourth quarter of the year. This upcoming record will follow their 2022 releases Unlimited Love and Return of the Dream Canteen. Both releases marked John Frusciante’s continued return to the band after his hiatus. The band has been conducting studio sessions in Los Angeles since early 2026. They are working with longtime collaborator Rick Rubin at Shangri-La Studios.
Early reports describe the sound as a “back-to-basics” approach that blends their signature funk-rock with experimental elements. The production heavily features Frusciante’s guitar work alongside Flea’s distinctive bass grooves. The band reportedly wrote over 30 songs for the project. They ultimately scrapped half of them to focus on what Flea described as “raw energy.”
In a recent Rolling Stone interview, Flea provided additional insight into the creative process. He called the album “the most alive we’ve felt in years.” He praised Frusciante’s “psychic” riffs and Anthony Kiedis’ “soul-searching” lyrics. He emphasized that the record features bass-heavy tracks inspired by his recent jazz explorations with his side project Ataxia.
“This one’s for the diehards – funkier than Californication, weirder than Stadium Arcadium,” Flea said in the interview.
The band has also confirmed that a lead single is expected to drop during summer 2026. Vinyl pre-orders will begin in September. A 2027 stadium tour has been “locked in” as Kiedis revealed. Plans include kicking off in Australia. Further details about the album’s timeline and complete tracklist have not yet been announced. Early track titles reportedly include “Echo Chamber,” “Fever Dream,” and “Neon Pulse.”
