Red Hot Chili Peppers released their 12th studio album, Unlimited Love, just this past April, but they are already preparing to release Return of the Dream Canteen, its follow-up, in October.
They clarified that it will be released on October 14 via Warner Records during their performance last night (July 23) at Denver’s Empower Field (as part of their current North American and European stadium tour).
We went in search of ourselves as the band that we have somehow always been. Just for the fun of it we jammed and learned some old songs. Before long we started the mysterious process of building new songs. A beautiful bit of chemistry meddling that had befriended us hundreds of times along the way. Once we found that slip stream of sound and vision, we just kept mining. With time turned into an elastic waist band of oversized underwear, we had no reason to stop writing and rocking. It felt like a dream. When all was said and done, our moody love for each other and the magic of music had gifted us with more songs than we knew what to do with. Well we figured it out. 2 double albums released back to back. The second of which is easily as meaningful as the first or should that be reversed. ‘Return of the Dream Canteen’ is everything we are and ever dreamed of being. It’s packed.
Although this announcement could come as a complete surprise, they hinted at it back in February.
Frontman Anthony Kiedis said in particular,“We’re gonna put out music by the handful. Literally. Don’t be surprised if another wheelbarrow of songs comes your way in the near future.” Plus, guitarist John Frusciante (who returned to RHCP in 2019 following a ten-year absence) commented that the newer tunes will have “a relaxed energy that’s distinct from the intensity of [Unlimited Love].”
Return of the Dream Canteen should be just as entertaining given their enthusiasm for the project and the substantial amount of favorable coverage that Unlimited Love garnered.