Chilis start album in January

The Red Hot Chili Peppers aim to start recording their 11th album in January, says drummer Chad Smith.

He reports that writing for the follow-up to 2011’s I’m With You is nearing completion – and they’re not planning to work up as many tracks as they did last time round.

Smith tells MusicRadar: “We’re really close to getting in to start recording. I think we’ll probably go up to December, do a little pre-production, then take a little Christmas break. I hope to recording after the first of the year.

“We probably have close to 30 songs. I think last time we overdid it a little; traditionally we’ve always recorded 25 or 40 songs. It won’t be 50, like last time.

“We always say, ‘We’re going to do a Beatles thing and just do 10 or 11 songs,’ then it turns into an epic fucking thing. This time we’ll focus on the quality and not the quantity.”

Smith says the hoped-for drum-off between him, comedian Will Ferrell and Lars Urlich is unlikely to happen, despite the Metallica drummer agreeing after Smith and Ferrell’s TV event. “I think that was kind of a joke – Will and I thought it was funny because Lars looks nothing like us. Lars got the joke too. But will and I are hoping we can cook something else up for next year; something more epic.”

The drummer remains associated with supergroup Chickenfoot, although schedules have made it impossible for them to begin work on a third album. Guitarist Joe Satriani this weeks said he believed there were a “couple more records” in the project.

Not only is one-time online news editor Martin an established rock journalist and drummer, but he’s also penned several books on music history, including SAHB Story: The Tale of the Sensational Alex Harvey Band, a band he once managed, and the best-selling Apollo Memories about the history of the legendary and infamous Glasgow Apollo. Martin has written for Classic Rock and Prog and at one time had written more articles for Louder than anyone else (we think he's second now). He’s appeared on TV and when not delving intro all things music, can be found travelling along the UK’s vast canal network.