In the same Twitter Q&A that Red Hot Chili Peppers’ bassist, Flea, confirming they’d be touring Australia “early next year (putting them in the running for headlining Big Day Out 2013), he also revealed plans for releasing eighteen new singles before the end of the year.

Though the funky monks are committed to an extensive touring schedule for the remainder of 2012, the man born Michael Peter Balzary confirmed that they would still be working on new material and yesterday, the Red Hot Chili Peppers officially confirmed they would be unleashing a whole batch of previously unreleased songs.

The material, primarily made up from leftover session from the band’s tenth studio album, I’m With You, will begin an extended release schedule starting from August 14, with the first being Strange Man/Long Progression, with the rest of the seventeen releases peppered throughout the rest of 2012 and into early next year.

The official news from the band’s website states that the releases are set to include special collectable artwork. “Each of the nine seven-inches will feature cover artwork by Kelsey Brookes, and when combined together, form one larger piece of artwork,” says the band.

“Brookes’ well-documented background in microbiology, surf culture and folk art combine in explosive prisms of raucous color, bold imagery and timeless motifs. His work has appeared in countless group shows, art fairs, and magazines such as GQ, Modern Painters, Juxtapoz, Beautiful Decay and Dazed and Confused.”

Following the first double-A side in August, September 11 will see the release of Magpies/Victorian Machinery while Never Is A Long Time/Love Of Your Life will be available the following month. The next three singles in the series are due in November and December, with dates to be confirmed for the last trio of releases, set for an Early 2013 release; which coincides with the Chili’s Australian tour plans.

As already confirmed, the Red Hot Chili Peppers are headed to Australian soil “early next year”,which puts the Chilis straight to the top of the rumour mill for the Big Day Out 2013 line-up. Doubly encouraging is the fact that Big Day Out’s new partners, C3 Presents, are the same promoters who handle Austin City Limits and Lollapalooza, which the Chili Willies are also headlining this August.

They’ve headlined the national tour before, back in 2000 along with Foo Fighters and Blink 182, but a 2013 tour from would be RHCP’s first in five years (since touring Stadium Arcadium 2007).

In related Chilis news, ex-guitar virtuoso John Frusciante is also set to release a swathe of new material including a new solo album, and an EP, which you can even order on cassette! (Keep the dream alive John…) While a tenacious fan recently discovered the titular location of the band’s 1992 song “Under The Bridge.”

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