When an artist goes solo, I appreciate a left turn. Don’t give me more of the kind of music you make with your band. I want to hear something new, out of the box. And you don’t get much more out of the box than the music that Naarm/Melbourne-born creative Flea, best known for his work with Red Hot Chili Peppers, has recorded for his solo album. His forthcoming album Honora features Flea on trumpet and bass making fantastic jazz music. I’m totally digging his version of “Thinkin Bout You,” originally recorded by Frank Ocean.
“Channel Orange! When that record came out, it really blew me away,” Flea enthused. “I listened to it ten million times. It was something I just couldn’t stop listening to. I loved it so much and still do. Just one of those real watershed moment records for me. ‘Thinkin Bout You’ is one of the many great songs on that record, and I thought it would be fun to play on trumpet. Then I went to Nate Wolcott, who plays keyboards on Honora on several tunes. He did that string arrangement for me. He stepped up to the plate and really did something beautiful. I just wanted to get the honest beauty of the melody because it’s a great song.”
Flea will release Honora on March 27 before embarking on a solo tour in May.
7 May 2026 – Thalia Hall, Chicago
9 May 2026 – The Opera House, Toronto
10 May 2026 – Théâtre Beanfield, Montreal
12 May 2026 – Webster Hall, New York
13 May 2026 – Black Cat, Washington, DC
16 May 2026 – The Fonda Theatre, Los Angeles
21 May 2026 – Heimathafen, Berlin
22 May 2026 – Paradiso, Amsterdam
26 May 2026 – Koko, London
28 May 2026 – Alhambra, Paris
Photo credit: Gus Van Sant