After nearly 50 years of making music, a Red Hot Chili Peppers mainstay is swapping funk rock for jazz with his first solo album.
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Premiere bass player Flea (who actually started out on the trumpet, believe it or not) is finally dropping his first solo album. Honora arrives on March 27 via Nonesuch.
The new single “Traffic Lights” is officially out… and yes, it’s a heavy hitter. Co-written with Radiohead’s Thom Yorke and Josh Johnson, it features Yorke’s unmistakable vocals, piano, and synth. If your ears aren’t enough, fans can treat their eyes to a visualizer directed and animated by nespy5euro.
Named after a cherished family member, Honora is Flea’s 10-track creation, with him on bass and trumpet, according to Nonesuch. Joining the ride are jazz and rock talents like saxophonist Johnson, guitarist Jeff Parker, Anna Butterss, and Deantoni Parks. It also features vocals from Yorke and Nick Cave.
Flea Traces His Musical Roots Back to Family Jam Session
As a founding member and bassist of the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Flea’s musical roots trace back to childhood jam sessions in his living room. “It was the greatest thing I ever saw,” he says of the jazz performances, per Nonesuch. “The wildness, warmth, and we of it. Straight Bebop. Boom. I knew there were higher things on this earth, way above the pettiness that had left me disheartened. The holy trifecta of my life, music, sports, and nature was complete.”
This spring, Flea (real name Michael Peter Balzary) is taking his solo album on the road with a full backing band. The tour kicks off on May 7 in Chicago, bringing Flea and the Honora ensemble to select cities across the United States, Canada, Germany, England, France, and the Netherlands.
Even when not on tour with the Red Hot Chili Peppers, who released two albums in 2022, Flea keeps busy. The 63-year-old is a published memoirist, an actor, and hosts his own podcast, This Little Light. His debut solo EP, Helen Burns, came out in 2012.