Flea | Honora
After a nearly five-decade (and counting) career as one of his generation’s defining rock bassists, Flea releases his first full-length solo album, Honora, March 27, 2026, on Nonesuch Records. Time and space have finally allowed him to return to his first musical loves: jazz and playing the trumpet. The record features vocals from Flea, as well as friends Thom Yorke and Nick Cave. Flea previously collaborated with Thom Yorke on the acclaimed but shortlived Atoms For Peace project more than a decade ago.
For Honora, which takes its name from a beloved family member, Flea composed and arranged the music, and also plays trumpet and bass throughout, joined by an elite crew of modern jazz visionaries: album producer and saxophonist Josh Johnson, guitarist Jeff Parker, bassist Anna Butterss, and drummer Deantoni Parks. Mauro Refosco (David Byrne, Atoms for Peace) and Nate Walcott (Bright Eyes), among others, also join the band.
The album comprises six original songs - including one co-written by Flea, Josh Johnson, and Thom Yorke - as well as interpretations of tunes by George Clinton and Eddie Hazel, Jimmy Webb, Frank Ocean and Shea Taylor, and Ann Ronell.
![Cover for Flea · Honora (LP) [Limited Indie Exclusive Red Vinyl edition] (2026)](https://imusic.b-cdn.net/images/item/original/588/0075597893588.jpg?flea-2026-honora-lp&class=scaled&v=1768393870)
Flea (born Michael Peter Balzary) is one of the most instantly recognizable bassists in the history of rock music. With his explosive playing style, relentless energy, and rare ability to fuse funk, punk, rock, and psychedelic elements, he has been a driving force behind one of the world’s most successful bands while also building a career that stretches far beyond any single genre.
His name is inseparable from Red Hot Chili Peppers, which he co-founded in Los Angeles in the early 1980s. The band’s early releases were defined by raw punk aggression and funk-driven bass lines, but it was the breakthrough album Blood Sugar Sex Magik (1991) that truly established Flea and the band on a global scale. Featuring songs like “Give It Away” and “Under the Bridge,” the album revealed a new level of maturity in both songwriting and dynamics, with Flea’s bass work shifting effortlessly between aggression, melody, and emotional depth.
In the years that followed, Red Hot Chili Peppers continued to refine and expand their sound on landmark albums such as Californication (1999), By the Way (2002), and the double album Stadium Arcadium (2006). Across these releases, Flea’s role as far more than a rhythmic foundation became unmistakable. His bass lines often functioned as melodic counterpoints, giving the songs texture, movement, and character. The blend of technical virtuosity and instinctive musicality turned him into a major inspiration for bassists around the world.
Alongside his work with Red Hot Chili Peppers,, Flea has consistently sought out new musical spaces. He has been involved in a wide range of side projects and collaborations, including Atoms For Peace with Thom Yorke, where the focus shifted toward rhythm-driven electronic music. He was also a key member of the supergroup Rocket Juice & The Moon with Damon Albarn and Tony Allen, a project that drew heavily on afrobeat, funk, and psychedelic rock. In addition, he has had shorter but impactful stints with bands such as Jane’s Addiction and Antemasque.
Flea’s musical curiosity extends well beyond the electric bass. Over the years, he has immersed himself in jazz and returned to the trumpet—the instrument he originally began playing—allowing another dimension of his musicianship to come to the forefront. This exploration has culminated in his solo work, where he steps away from the rigid structures of rock and into a more open, improvisational, and jazz-oriented musical world.
Watch the music video for the lead single "A Plea" from the album Honora here: