Flea Finally Goes Solo… And It Sounds Nothing Like You’d Expect

By Ben Liew  •  20 Jan 2026 in Music

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Flea is the friggin’ best! By far the most colourful member of the Red Hot Chili Peppers, his bass-playing lays the funky foundation of decades of RHCP greatness. But aside from shutter-shaking grooves and wild stage energy, Flea’s always worn his heart outside the instrument—from the raw honesty of his memoir Acid for the Children to his eclectic artistic side gigs.

Now, after 44 years with the Chili Peppers, Flea is finally stepping out with his first full-length solo album Honora, dropping 27 March. Two tracks are already out and they’re hinting at something bold, brave, and absolutely worth your ears.

Here’s why you should check it out…

1. This isn’t a Chili Peppers record—it’s Flea unfiltered

Unlike the collaborative soup that is RHCP, Honora is Flea’s personal musical manifesto. He composed and arranged every piece, playing trumpet and bass throughout, and shaping the album around his early love for jazz.

This is the sound of one of rock’s greatest sidemen finally calling the shots—and it’s infused with the spirit of his earliest musical impulses.

2. He’s traded slapping bass for blowing trumpet

Before punk rock found him, Flea fell head over heels for jazz. Early in life he played trumpet, and for Honora he returned to the horn with focus and intention.

This isn’t a gimmick. Flea practiced hard enough to hang with some seriously esteemed jazz players, and his trumpet lines give Honora a warm, adventurous flavour that’s miles away from the rock guitar stomps you expect.

3. The collaborations are all dream-team-level surreal

This isn’t just Flea doing jazz in a vacuum. Honora features guest vocals and performances from Thom Yorke of Radiohead and Nick Cave, two artists who rarely moonlight outside their own universes.

The single ‘Traffic Lights,’ co-written with Yorke and featuring his voice, piano and synth, blends jazz energy with a hypnotic, slightly cosmic groove you wouldn’t expect but totally crave.

Listen to ‘Traffic Lights’ below:

4. It plays like a breezy, genre-defying jazz odyssey

The album spans six original compositions plus interpretations of iconic tunes by artists as unexpected as Frank Ocean, Jimmy Webb, George Clinton, Eddie Hazel, and Ann Ronell.

That means Honora isn’t jazz in a museum sense—it’s jazz that nods to soul, psychedelia, funk, and pop in a way only Flea could dream up.

5. There’s meaning woven into every note

Named after a beloved family member and featuring personal reflections throughout, Honora isn’t just a musical project—it’s emotional terrain.

Even the first single, ‘A Plea,’ sees Flea stepping into lyrical territory of yearning, love, and connection, and not just instrumental bravado.

Watch the official music video for ‘A Plea’ below:

6. Flea’s on tour with it (intimate shows, not arenas)

If you want the Honora experience live, Flea is hitting intimate venues in North America, Europe, and the UK this May—not the gargantuan stadiums you’d expect for the RHCP member.

That means this music is meant to be felt up close—a sweaty club, a seated jazz night, a room where every trumpet breath counts.

If you’re ready to explore Flea in a whole new light—not just the bassist you know and love, but a jazz-driven composer, a collaborator with icons, and a storyteller in his own right—Honora is your next essential listen.

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