Red Hot Chili Peppers fans have every reason today to be excited about, um, something. Founding member Flea took to Instagram today with the proclamation “Been nurturing the feral animal for quite a while, it’s about time to set her free.”

Included in the post is a blinding neon Chili Peppers logo, and an 18-second snippet that’s light on lyrics (ie. there are none) and heavy on six-string atmospherics.

Assuming John Frusciante hasn’t left the band again this week, that presumably means the Red Hot Chili Peppers have not only been busy in the studio, but have something to show for it. Either that or they whipped up something overnight to try and upstage former guitarist Josh Klinghoffer, who released “Claw Your Way Out” under his Pluralone moniker yesterday.

If the post isn't Pluralone-related, the Peppers might have a new record on the way, which would be their first with Frusciante since 2006’s Stadium Arcadium. (Those keeping track of the guitarist's various arrivals and exits with the Red Hots will recall he rejoined—to the disappointment of Klinghoffer—the group in 2019 after a decade-long absence

Based on the 18-seconds we hear on Instagram, put away the silver body paint and Princess Leia buns. And get ready for something that sounds like music for laying in the Mojave Deserts, smoking a Peyote bomber, and then staring at the stars.

Then again, it’s possible that Flea wasn’t talking about new music at all.

Given we’re talking about a man who’s made a five-decade career out of flying his freak flag sky high, his post could pretty much mean anything.

Like, for example, he’s been eating nothing but stewed prunes, Costco-sized boxes of All-Bran, and Ex-Lax frosted bran muffins for the past three week and is now ready to release the chocolate hostages. Or, after three fevered days of professional pocket pool, he’s about to whip it out, perhaps onstage like back in the tube sock days.

Hey, if it worked back then, who’s to say it won’t now.

Here's the post. 

https://www.instagram.com/p/CZR5Y_KrCTp/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link