Former Red Hot Chili Peppers guitarist Josh Klinghoffer has said he feels like he’s known Pearl Jam “for 30 years” since he joined the band as a touring member.

The band recruited Klinghoffer earlier this year and he made his live debut at Asbury Park, New Jersey at the Sea.Hear.Now Festival in September.

Speaking about joining the Pearl Jam, he told Consequence Of Sound in a new interview: “It is, it’s enormously gratifying. My bedroom wall when I was like 11, 12, 13 years old was all these people. I feel like I’ve known these guys for 30 years already, I don’t know if that will make it work better or not.”

He continued: “I’m sort of doing a new role, playing a lot of percussion or background vocals, predominantly with the new stuff. And then anything that’s an older song that has a harmony, extra little things that they sort of get by without, I have free range to add if it makes sense to.

“I try to make my being onstage matter instead of just popping in and out for one little word. But they’ve been incredibly welcoming and generous to me, and have just sort of let me find my place.”

Klinghoffer was let go by the Red Hot Chili Peppers in 2019, with former guitarist John Frusciante returning. Klinghoffer said at the time he held no animosity towards the group, saying the decision was “pretty simple”.

Pearl Jam, meanwhile, recently shared new digital mixes of their debut album ‘Ten’ and their 1996 LP ‘No Code’.

The band, who celebrated the 30th and 25th anniversary of both records in August, posted mixes created by producer Josh Evans in Dolby Atmos and Sony 360 Reality Audio for ​”state-of-the-art immersive listening experiences”.

You can listen to both records via the band’s YouTube channel here.

Meanwhile, Klinghoffer recently teamed up with Eddie Vedder after he formed a new band for a covers-filled set in California.