Ava Maybee is a Los Angeles-based musician who writes indie pop songs with a funk undercurrent. She’s also the daughter of Chad Smith, the drummer in Red Hot Chili Peppers and the internet’s favorite Will Ferrell lookalike. Over the weekend, she paid tribute to her dad’s band by covering “Universally Speaking” on Instagram, notes Exclaim. Check it out below.
“Universally Speaking” originally appeared on Red Hot Chili Peppers’ classic 2002 album By the Way. It’s a poppy number full of vibrant guitar riffs and hard-hitting yet simple drums. But in the hands of Ava Maybee, the single turns into a moving piano ballad with gentle background ambiance. She’s got a naturally deep voice, and hearing it stripped down for this cover song makes it obvious just how talented of a singer she really is. Clearly the gift of musicianship runs in the family.
Maybee’s throwback cover is a welcome treat while fans wait for the highly anticipated new Red Hot Chili Peppers album. The band reportedly finished recording it back in May, according to Smith of all people, so there’s likely only a few more months until a release date or new single is finally announced.
Related Video
The upcoming album will be Red Hot Chili Peppers’ first full-length with John Frusciante since Stadium Arcadium in 2006. It sounds like Frusciante has been having a good time since returning to the band, as the fan-favorite guitarist recently confirmed that “the chemistry is still there” after all these years. If you’re wondering what he’s been up to during that very long break from the group, here’s a pretty detailed refresher.
Earlier this year, Red Hot Chili Peppers made a historic deal that allowed them to cash in big time. The California alt-rockers decided to sell their song catalog to Hipgnosis Songs for more than $140 million. That agreement is expected to include all of the band’s albums and biggest hits, and will slot them alongside other artist catalogs that the company recently purchased, including half of Neil Young’s discography and everything by Shakira, Lindsey Buckingham of Fleetwood Mac, producer Jimmy Iovine, and others.
