Flea says Red Hot Chili Peppers' entire career has led to "Stadium"

The Red Hot Chili Peppers are up for six Grammy awards this year, with Stadium Arcadium nominated for Album of the Year and Best Rock Album. The Chili Peppers feel the double-CD set is the best record they've ever made, and bassist Flea told us that he thinks their entire 23-year career has led to this point: "It's like when you're a surfer, you know. You wait for when there's gonna be a real good swell that's gonna come, but you've got to stay in shape and be ready for that swell, so when it comes, you're ready to paddle up and get on that wave and be in shape to ride it. And I just feel like all the work that we've done has been a preparation for us to ride the wave of creativity that we had when this record came."

The Chili Peppers are also nominated for Best Rock Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocal and Best Rock Song for "Dani California," plus Best Rock Album and Best Short Form Music Video.

The 49th annual Grammy Awards air live from Los Angeles this Sunday night (February 11th) on CBS, beginning at 8 p.m. ET. The Chili Peppers are scheduled to perform at the show.

Stadium Arcadium has sold more than 1.8 million copies since its release last May.

The Chili Peppers recently completed the first leg of a North American tour with Gnarls Barkley and will resume on February 27th in Rosemont, Illinois.