Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer Chad Smith has revealed the Californian rockers are hoping to release a new album in the second half of 2010.

The group has been working on the follow up to 2006's sprawling double set 'Stadium Arcadium' and Smith speculated new material could surface in October 2010. He told Clash Magazine, "We're gonna write for a while, it usually takes us a while," before adding that the record's release date would be "sometime next year, maybe this time [next year]."

Asked whether Thom Yorke's influence might be heard on the new record with the Chili Peppers' bass player Flea having played live as part of the Radiohead singer's solo band. Smith said that the bassist had indeed given him a disc of electronic beats as inspiration but that there wasn't an overt electronic direction to the new material.

He said, "You never know. We've got songs with piano on them right now, so who knows."

Any reports of a Radiohead excursion into rubbery funk metal and inappropriate sock wearing are yet to surface.