(Photo by: Kevin Winter//Getty Images)
Placed twice by Rolling Stone magazine on a list of the Top 100 Guitarists of All Time, John Frusciante–the ex-Red Hot Chili Peppers musician who saw the band through hit albums like Mothers Milk, Blood Sex Sugar Magik, and Californication–is prepping to showcase his skills on a new solo EP called Letur Lefr.
Released on July 9th, the album will be Frusciante’s twelfth solo album; Frusciante’s début, 1994′s Niandra Lades and Usually Just a T-Shirt, was surrounded with controversy over his self-proclaimed “junkie” drug use.
Almost two decades later and three years after his critically acclaimed The Empyrean album, Frusciante is once again ready to highlight his eclectic guitar phrasings.
According to Stadium Arcadium, the definitive Red Hot Chili Pepper’s fan site, Frusciante’s record label, Record Collection Music, has confirmed rumors that the musician will be releasing the five track EP this summer and will also be contributing to the album’s cover art.
Frusciante, who has been known to embrace electronic influences throughout the years, is purportedly going in an interesting new direction with his sound; he invited R&B singer Truth Hurts a/k/a Share Watson to sing on the album.
In recent Red Hot Chili Peppers news, the band was inducted into Cleveland’s Rock and Roll Hall of Fame sans John Frusciante although he was invited. Drummer Chad Smith told Billboard that Frusciante “didn’t feel comfortable coming, which we totally respect.”
“We asked him,” explained Smith. “He said, ‘I’m just not really comfortable with that, but good luck and thanks for inviting me.’ It was all good. He’s the kind of guy, I think, that once he’s finished with something he’s just on to the next phase of his life. The Chili Peppers are not really on his radar right now.”
–Nadia Noir, CBS Radio Los Angeles
