After becoming popular in Los Angeles, Red Hot Chili Peppers got a recording contract with record label EMI. Irons and Slovak thought Red Hot Chili Peppers was a side project. They left just before the first album to work more on their original band, "What Is This?". Kiedis and Flea did not think their band was a side project, and decided to look for new members. They hired guitarist Jack Sherman and drummer Cliff Martinez. Andy Gill, usually a guitarist, was hired to be a producer for the band's first album.