Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer Chad Smith has said they are due to begin recording their new album “in a few weeks”.

Smith said the US band have been demoing material since last October and were now ready to enter the studio with producer Rick Rubin.

“Pre-production will take a few months, but I'd say by July we'll be laying down real tracks,” the drummer told Music Radar.

“We have a lot of material, probably about 20 songs."

Smith also spoke briefly about the departure last year of guitarist John Frusciante, who quit the group to work on his own material.

“We were sad to see John leave the band, but he has to do what he wants and follow his path,” he said.

Smith said Frusciante’s replacement Josh Klinghoffer had settled into the band, and that he would have an active role in their music.

"Josh is a real creative force,” he said. “He's going to play guitar, he's going to write music, he's going to sing and play keyboards.”

Red Hot Chili Peppers' last studio album 'Stadium Arcadium' was released in 2006.

(by Jason Gregory)