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When an iconoclastic musician like Flea<\/strong> decides to step out of the shadows of his band to embark on his first solo album, expectations can take many forms. This track is the second preview<\/strong> of Honora<\/em>, Flea’s debut solo album to be released on March 27, 2026<\/strong> via Nonesuch Records<\/strong>, which showcases facets of his musical universe far beyond rock – a return to his roots as a trumpeter and explorer of contemporary jazz.<\/p>\n\n “Traffic Lights”<\/em> was co-written by Flea, Thom Yorke and saxophonist\/harp player Josh Johnson<\/strong>, and combines Yorke’s unmistakable voice with a soundscape that oscillates between sacrificial jazz and subtle electronica<\/strong>. Flea himself explained that the track was born in a session with Deantoni Parks, and that its atmosphere reminded him of his work together with Yorke in the superband Atoms for Peace, which led him to send him the piece. <\/p>\n\n The lyrics and tone of “Traffic Lights”<\/em> seem to speak to the paradox of modern life – “how to make sense of things when we get so much real shit mixed with fake” – as described by Flea himself, in a reflection that seems simultaneously intimate and universal. <\/p>\n\n The association between Flea and Yorke is no coincidence. The two previously shared the stage as part of Atoms for Peace<\/strong>, a project that brought together talents such as Yorke, Flea, Mauro Refosco and Joey Waronker, among others, and left a legacy of sonic experimentation in the past decade. <\/p>\n\n That shared past is felt on Traffic Lights<\/em>: not only because of the obvious chemistry between the two artists, but because Yorke contributes vocals, piano and synthesizers<\/strong> that generate moments of floating, almost cinematic textures over the organic rhythmic base woven by Flea and his band.<\/p>\n\n Honora<\/em>, the album that will include Traffic Lights<\/em>, is not a traditional rock project. It is an album built from Flea’s love for contemporary jazz and improvisation<\/strong>, taking up the trumpet (his first instrument) and regrouping musicians like Jeff Parker (guitar), Anna Butterss (double bass), Deantoni Parks (drums) or Mauro Refosco (percussion). <\/p>\n\n The work combines six original songs and several reinterpretations<\/strong> of influential classics, such as Funkadelic’s “Maggot Brain”<\/em> and Jimmy Webb’s “Wichita Lineman,”<\/em> along with guest contributions from Nick Cave<\/strong>. <\/p>\n\n The result is an album that broadens Flea’s creative spectrum, showcasing his versatility not only as a bassist but also as a songwriter, trumpeter and musical storyteller.<\/p>\n\n The title Honora<\/em> – named after a beloved member of Flea’s family – hints that this project is personal and reflective, a move that is as much about music as it is about identity. <\/p>\n\n Released with its visualizer video, Traffic Lights<\/em> is now available on platforms such as Spotify and YouTube, accompanying its predecessor “A Plea”<\/em> and offering the first major hint of the sonic direction of this highly anticipated album.<\/p>\n\n In addition to the album release, Flea has announced an international tour in spring 2026<\/strong> to present Honora<\/em> at iconic venues in North America and Europe, with stops in cities such as Chicago, New York, Los Angeles, Berlin, Amsterdam, London and Paris. <\/p>\n\n This tour, in a more intimate format than the massive Red Hot Chili Peppers concerts, will allow fans to experience live this new stage of a musician who has always been at the forefront of sound exploration.<\/p>\n\n Traffic Lights<\/em> is not just a single: it is a bridge between eras, genres and musical worlds<\/strong>. Here jazz, experimental spirit and the alternative sensibility of two unique figures, Flea and Thom Yorke, converge at a time when both seem to be looking towards the timeless rather than the obvious. <\/p>\n\n It is an invitation to listen, to feel and to let yourself go.
\n\nA natural encounter between modern jazz and alternative sensibility<\/h3>\n\n
\n\nA collaboration with history and Atoms for Peace as a bridge<\/h3>\n\n
\n\n Jazz, introspection and expanded sound<\/h3>\n\n
\n\nA launch loaded with meaning<\/h3>\n\n
\n\nBeyond the single an international tour in 2026<\/h3>\n\n
\n\n a reinvented Flea, a rediscovered Yorke<\/h2>\n\n
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