Red Hot Chili Peppers with former member John Frusciante
Red Hot Chili Peppers bass player Flea has admitted the departure of influential guitarist John Frusciante in 2009 caused him to question his own future in the band.
In an interview with Guitar World, Flea explained how he initially wondered whether he could continue in the band without Frusciante, but later found himself developing an even deeper affection for his group.
“Oh, I’ve considered pulling the plug a million times,” he said. “That’s nothing new for me. Things get to be a bummer and I start going, ‘Mmm, this is kind of a drag.’ And I just couldn’t imagine doing it without John.”
“When he did up and leave, though, some time went by and I just started feeling this deep love for the band and wanted to continue it. Plus, I missed Anthony. So we got Josh.”
Frusciante has been replaced by Josh Klinghoffer, who Flea also described as a ‘subtle, sublime and poetic musician.’