Red Hot Chili Peppers’ Josh Klinghoffer Premieres New LP From His Band Dot Hacker.

Red Hot Chili Peppers guitarist Josh Klinghoffer steps from the sidelines to the frontman’s role in Dot Hacker, a Los Angeles-based alt-rock band featuring a roster of distinguished members. Klinghoffer and his bandmates found time in their busy schedules to write and record the new album How’s Your Process? (Work).

Dot Hacker‘s genesis comes from when Klinghoffer and bandmate Clint Walsh were touring as part of Gnarls Barkley back in 2006. Two more seasoned musicians, Eric Gardner and Jonathan Hischke soon rounded up the lineup and the band was formed in 2007. Klinghoffer’s schedule became substantially busier upon joining the Red Hot Chili Peppers as a full-time member in 2009, though Dot Hacker eventually found time to release its debut Inhibition in 2012.  How’s Your Process? (Work) is that album’s proper follow-up, and it comes as the first part of a planned two-album series.

“We recorded a lot of songs over the last year with the intention of making a single full length album,” guitarist/keyboardist Clint Walsh says. “We never actually expected that all of them would make the final sequence. However, we quickly realized there was nothing we felt should be left off.”

The follow-up, titled How’s Your Process? (Play) will “follow shortly,” according to Walsh. In the meantime, enjoy the piercing hooks and transfixing arrangements that the first installment has to offer.

Guitarist Josh Klinghoffer with fellow pepper, Anthony Kiedis of Red Hot Chili Peppers

Frontman, Josh Klinghoffer took some time to answer a few questions for All Access Music Writer, Nicole DeRosa. Check out their Q&A below:

How would you describe your music to those who have not had the pleasure to be introduced to your sound yet?

Oxymoronic

Where did you all grow up? How did your location influence your style?

One of us is from Hartford, CT.  One of us is from down the road, near Boston.  One of us is from the great state of Nebraska, and yours truly was born in Santa Monica, California.  I think location and where you’re from absolutely influences your musical style as well as everything else about you.  There are countless specifics to mention, and I don’t want to speak for any of the others, so one way it’s influenced me, is being from Los Angeles, I was inundated with sun and heat, both of which I detest.  I enjoy the sun in small doses, but I think I tended to enjoy music that conjured a more cloudy existence.  I also think I tend to play music like a petulant baby who would complain about something like the sun.

What can we expect at your shows?

You can expect music played by people who love playing it.

What’s your favorite song that you guys have written and what was the influence?

I don’t like to play favorites and the influences are really so vast.  On this current record, I’ve always had a special place in my heart for Aim, First In Forever, and Sermon Of Sorts.  That’s not to say I like them more than others, but for me, they signify a certain time in my life and a certain confluence of things that feel to me like Dot Hacker.

What was the first piece of music that you fell in love with growing up?

Wow.  I don’t know if it’s the first, but I remember scouring New York City for a 45rpm record of the Chariots Of Fire theme.  I was probably 5 or 6.  Around that time, I was also fascinated with the song Footloose.

If you could meet any musician that isn’t alive anymore, who would it be?  Why?  Where would you go? What would you do? What would you ask him or her?

Is there a key for the infinity sign on the keyboard?

How has the tour been so far? How has life on the road been treating you all?  Can you share with us any memorable stories from the road so far?

We’ve played two shows thus far.  In that brief time, we had a lot of fun, but I’m not sure it’s anything worth sharing.  We had a very interesting discussion about jazz musicians on Monday, July 7th.  I walked away in pain.

If you were on an island and could only bring 3 things, what would you bring?

My iPod, maybe a travel guitar and the confirmation number for my travel home.

What is in your current music playlist? Any guilty pleasure songs?

Right now, I’m listening to Dusty Springfield.  There are too many guilty pleasures, although I don’t know what makes them guilty.  The Dots have a thing where we send each other a song to listen to everyday.  Yesterday’s were…

All Mods Con – The Jam

Darkness – The Police

Little By Little – Robert Plant

Not About Love (rough mix) – Fiona Apple

Do you have any hidden talents we don’t know about that you would like to share with our readers?

They shall remain hidden for now.

What’s on tap next for Dot Hacker this year?

As many shows as possible.  The release of the second half of How’s Your Process? and the writing and preparation of the next album.

To keep up to date with Dot Hacker, visit their website here