Flea Announces Debut Solo Album & World Tour, Shares ‘Traffic Lights’ Single With Thom Yorke

Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist Flea heralded his debut solo album, Honora, with the single “Traffic Lights,” featuring Radiohead frontman Thom Yorke. The bassist also announced 2026 international tour dates around the record.

Honora, named after a beloved family member, arrives on March 27 through Nonesuch Records. Preceded by the single, “A Plea”, Honora sees Flea playing both bass and his first instrument, the trumpet. Honora is a vision that has floated through Flea’s mind for decades and sees the musician rekindling his love for jazz.

As a child, Flea (Michael Balzary) would listen to family friends playing jazz in his home.

“It was the greatest thing I ever saw,” he recalled. “The wildness, warmth and awe 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.”

Years later, as his band the Red Hot Chili Peppers were on the rise, Flea remarked to a friend: “I want to make an instrumental record with deep hypnotic grooves, trippy melodies layered on top, meditations on a groove.”

Fast forward again as the bassist neared his 60th birthday, he realized it was now or never to get his trumpet chops back up and make the album. He assembled a band of ace players: saxophonist Josh Johnson, guitarist Jeff Parker, bassist Anna Butterss and drummer Deantoni Parks.

Honora also sees contributions from Mauro Refosco (David Byrne, Atoms For Peace) and Nate Walcott (Bright Eyes). The LP features six original compositions along with interpretations of songs by George Clinton/Eddie Hazel, Jimmy Webb, Frank Ocean, Shea Taylor and Ann Ronell.

Flea also reached out to friends Nick Cave and Thom Yorke, with the latter appearing on the latest Honora single, “Traffic Lights.”

“Deantoni and I played what became ‘Traffic Lights’ the first day,” Flea said of the track. “Something about it reminded me of Atoms for Peace, so I sent it to Thom. Just knowing him, I thought it would be a rhythm and a sensibility that he would relate to. And I was right, he did. With a gorgeous melody and the words, you know, about living in the ‘upside down’ and how do you make sense of things when we’re getting all this fake shit and real shit? Everyone has their ways of dealing with the world. But he’s just the warmest, free flowing, jamming motherf*cker.”

“Traffic Lights” rolls out with a visualizer, featuring concept, direction, animation and illustration by ‪@nespy5euro‬. Stream below:

Flea is bringing his Honora band out on the road in May, with stops stretching across North America and Europe. The bassist/trumpeter will roll into Chicago, Toronto, Montreal, New York, Washington D.C., Los Angeles, Berlin, Amsterdam, London and Paris this spring.

Following various presales, general onsales begin Friday, January 23 at 10 a.m. local.

Honora Tracklist:

1. Golden Wingship
2. A Plea
3. Traffic Lights
4. Frailed
5. Morning Cry
6. Maggot Brain
7. Wichita Lineman
8. Thinkin Bout You
9. Willow Weep for Me
10. Free As I Want to Be