Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist Flea has released his orchestral interpretation of Frank Ocean’s ‘Thinkin Bout You’, transforming the Channel Orange staple into an instrumental ballad driven by electric bass and trumpet.
The track is the latest preview of ‘Honora’, Flea’s debut solo album, arriving March 27th via Nonesuch Records, built around trumpet lines, upright bass from Anna Butterss and string arrangements by Nate Walcott of Bright Eyes, the rework strips away vocals and leans fully into melody.
Speaking on the track, Flea says (per press release):
“Channel Orange! When that record came out, it really blew me away. 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.”
A Return To First Loves
After nearly five decades as one of rock’s most recognisable bassists, Flea has turned back toward jazz and trumpet, the instruments that shaped his early musical life. Honora features six original compositions alongside interpretations of songs by Frank Ocean, George Clinton and Eddie Hazel, Jimmy Webb and Ann Ronell.
The record includes contributions from Thom Yorke and Nick Cave, with production and saxophone from Josh Johnson. Flea handles trumpet and bass throughout.
He has admitted he felt vulnerable stepping into this space, worried collaborators might see him as “a non-playing motherf*cker, charlatan, rock poseur or fan.” Instead, he describes the sessions as euphoric and deeply collaborative.
Flea ‘Honara’ Pre order details
Flea ‘Honora‘ Tracklist
Golden Wingship
A Plea
Traffic Lights
Frailed
Morning Cry
Maggot Brain
Wichita Lineman
Thinkin Bout You
Willow Weep for Me
Free As I Want to Be
Pre order here.
A sold out international tour kicks off in May across North America and Europe, with intimate venues replacing the stadium scale of the Chili Peppers.
For Flea, Honora feels less like a side project and more like unfinished business finally realised.
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