Flea Unveils “A Plea,” the First Look at His Upcoming Debut Solo Album
Flea has been inspiring musicians to pick up the bass for decades as a member of the Red Hot Chili Peppers. In 2012, he branched out on his own with an EP called Helen Burns, but now he’s announced an upcoming debut full-length album. He’s even given us the first glimpse of it with a new song called “A Plea,” which is accompanied by a music video directed by his daughter, Clara Balzary.
“This is the first song from an album that I made that I’m putting out, and I’ve recorded something that really is the essence of me, the best of me, and I’m really excited that I’ve been able to articulate the best part of who I am and, you know, my relationship to the world, and how I hope for a higher level of discourse amongst human beings,” Flea explained on Instagram.
“A Plea” kicks off with an upright bass laying down a thick bass line accompanied by the electric bass playing an agile response to each note. The soundscape blossoms over seven and a half minutes, adding drums, guitar, flute, and horns. As Flea mentioned, the song is wholly him: jazz, funk, punk, and rock. After a trombone solo, he begins vocalizing his “plea” with lyrics, which are more spoken word, delivered with the directness and intensity of Gil Scott Heron.
Check out the video for “A Plea”:
Flea hasn’t dropped many details of his upcoming album, but he did mention a list of contributors: Josh Johnson, Deantoni Parks, Anna Butterss, Nate Walcott, Jeff Parker, Rickey Washington, Vikram Devasthali, and Mauro Refosco. With a roster like that, we can expect more boundary-pushing jazz tracks than the straight-forward rock of the Chili Peppers. Butterss is a member of Jason Isbell’s 400 Unit as well as the experimental jazz collective SML.
“A Plea” is out on all streaming services. We’ll keep you updated with Flea’s new album as more is announced.
In his time with No Treble, Kevin has met hundreds of amazing bassists and interviewed icons like Jack Casady, Victor Wooten, Les Claypool, Marcus Miller, and more. He's a gigging bassist performing jazz in Northern Virginia and bluegrass with The Plate Scrapers up and down the East Coast. Kevin appreciates all genres of music, from R&B to metal and everything in between. Connect with Kevin on Facebook and check his performance schedule on his website.
