Josh Klinghoffer is no longer with Red Hot Chili Peppers,as the band’s previous guitarist John Frusciante has returned to the band for a second time. In his first interview since splitting with RHCP on comedian Marc Maron’s ‘WTF’ podcast, Klinghoffer described in detail how the band broke news, his feelings on it, and his 10 year run with one of the biggest alternative bands of all time. Consequence of Sounds got the transcription of it all, and you can listen to the whole interview above.

“I rode my bike over [to Flea’s house]. They just said, ‘We’ll get right to it. We’ve decided to ask John to come back to the band.’ And I just sat there quiet for a second and I said, ‘I’m not surprised.’ And the only thing I could think to say was, ‘I wish I could have done something with you guys, musically or creatively, that would have made this an absolute impossibility.’” said Klinghoffer. He added he was “shocked, not surprised” by the news that Frusciante and added he feels very grateful for his time in the band.

Klinghoffer and Frusciante have a history together as friends and fellow musicians as well. “We had been friends and working together. When they decided they wanted to carry on and he maintained he was sort of done with it, and they asked me to do it, I think he was really surprised that they were going to carry on without him… It was sort of a strange position I was holding.”

Klinghoffer played with the Peppers on the hit albums ‘I’m with You’ (2010) and ‘the Getaway’ (2016) with numerous world tours as an official member of the group. Between 2007 to getting on the guitar gig, he was a touring musician with the band on backing vocals, keyboards, and additional guitar.

So all exits from bands don’t have to be nasty or mean right? Klinghoffer just released his second solo album ‘To Be One with You’ in November meanwhile the Pepps will be recording a new album with several festival dates booked for 2020.

In 2016, our bud Walt spoke with Flea backstage at Lollapalooza.