Well, it’s better late than never. At age 63, Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist Flea has unveiled official plans to release his debut full-length solo album. The 10-track collection is titled Honora, and is scheduled to hit stores on March 27.
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The jazz-influenced album features Flea on trumpet, bass, and vocals. Joining the Rock & Roll Hall of Famer is an elite band of modern-jazz musicians, including saxophonist and producer Josh Johnson, guitarist Jeff Parker, bassist Anna Butterss, and drummer Deantoni Parks. A couple of Flea’s famous friends, Radiohead frontman Thom Yorke and Nick Cave, contributed guest vocals. A number of other musicians also are featured on Honora, including Bright Eyes keyboardist Nate Walcott and David Byrne percussionist Mauro Refosco. Refosco also played with Flea and Yorke in the supergroup Atoms For Peace.
Coinciding with the album announcement, Flea has made available an advance track titled “Traffic Lights,” which was co-written with Yorke and Johnson. The quirky, funky tune features Yorke on vocals and Flea on trumpet. You can check an animated visualizer video for the tune on YouTube. “Traffic Lights” is the second advance track released from Honora. The first, “A Plea,” debuted in early December 2025.
Honora features six original songs, as well as four covers. The covers are renditions of Funkadelic’s “Maggot Brain,” the Jimmy Webb-penned Glen Campbell classic “Wichita Lineman,” Frank Ocean’s “Thinkin Bout You,” and the oft-recorded 1932 pop tune “Willow Weep For Me.”
According to a press statement, Honora was named for “a beloved family member.” You can pre-order the album now.
Flea Will Tour in Support of ‘Honora’
Flea has lined up 10 shows in support of the album with his Honora band in May. The trek will visit major cities in the United States, Canada, and Europe.
The North American portion runs from a May 7 concert in Chicago through a May 16 performance in Los Angeles. Flea also will visit Toronto, Montreal, New York City, and Washington, D.C.
The European shows will be held on May 21 in Berlin, May 22 in Amsterdam, May 26 in London, and May 28 in Paris.
Tickets go on sale to the general public at on Friday, January 23, at 10 a.m. local time. Pre-sale tickets for the European concerts will be available starting on Tuesday, January 20, at 10 a.m. local time. Visit Flea333.com for more details.
According to a post on Flea’s social media pages, “beautiful guests” will be joining him on the tour.
How the ‘Honora’ Album Came About
Flea developed his love of jazz as a child, when musical family friends played together in his living room.
“It was the greatest thing I ever saw,” he shared. “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.”
Flea’s plan to make a solo jazz album dated back to 1991, while he was working on the Gus Van Sant film My Own Private Idaho.
His idea was “to make an instrumental record with deep hypnotic grooves, trippy melodies layered on top, meditations on a groove,” but he first wanted work on developing his skills as a trumpet player.
As he approached his 60th birthday, Flea finally vowed to practice trumpet daily for two years, and at the end of that period he’d record an album.
After assembling the band to record Honora with him, he realized that he was scared to make music for the first time in his life. He feared that the talented musicians would think he was “a non-playing motherf—er, charlatan, rock poseur or fan.”
His worries wound up being unfounded, though.
As Flea explained, “It turns out they were all the most genuinely supportive people, moving me deeply and daily with their generous spirits.” He added, “Sitting in a room and playing the music with them made me feel like I was on drugs. I was buzzing, tripping and floating around the studio. I love them, they truly gave of themselves. I bow all the way down.”
‘Honora’ Track List:
- “Golden Wingship”
- “A Plea”
- “Traffic Lights”
- “Frailed”
- “Morning Cry”
- “Maggot Brain”
- “Wichita Lineman”
- “Thinkin Bout You”
- “Willow Weep For Me”
- “Free As I Want To Be”
Flea’s Honora Tour Dates:
May 7 – Chicago, IL @ Thalia Hall
May 9 – Toronto, ON, Canada @ The Opera House
May 10 – Montreal, QC, Canada @ Théâtre Beanfield
May 12 – New York, NY @ Webster Hall
May 13 – Washington, DC @ Black Cat
May 16 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Fonda Theatre
May 21 – Berlin, Germany @ Heimathafen
May 22 – Amsterdam, Netherlands @ Paradiso
May 26 – London, U.K. @ Koko
May 28 – Paris, France @ Alhambra
(Photo by Gus Van Sant)
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