Breaking the Frequency

Some of the most interesting music stories break tradition — they take an unexpected path instead of cowering under the weight of conformity. Some of music’s most fascinating projects that step away from the norms have recently been unveiled, revealing the wisdom of some of music’s most iconic members and the innovation of new generations.

For renowned Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist Flea, all roads led to channeling his roots when he released his first jazz album, “Honora,” earlier this year. His change of course from bursting basslines to transcendent trumpeting left many gobsmacked and completely enraptured.

Punk rock legends Henry Rollins and Ian MacKaye recently collaborated on a project after Poison Ivy of The Cramps shared some of the band’s archived tracks. Thanks to this epic collaboration, punk rock disciples can savor this exhumed music from the album titled “Gravest Gravy,” released this summer.

More rebels of the mundane stirred things up in 2026, like Face to Face frontman and punk rock legend Trever M. Keith, who just released an Americana album, and trip-hop trailblazer Tricky, who recently reemerged with his album “Different When It’s Silent.” In addition, Angine de Poitrine, a Canadian rock duo, experienced an explosion of curiosity this year with its otherworldly tracks and polka-dotted vibe.

These five stories share a common theme: the most intriguing music comes when you break away from the conventional. The art of the detour can strengthen your wisdom and be the key to unlocking your inner nonconformist.

The Man of “Honora”

Noble bass guitarist Flea embarks on a lifelong dream to produce a modern jazz album.

Fans were awestruck when Flea offered the world “A Plea” in late 2025. When they hit “play,” they didn’t hear the raw, irreverent punches that bled through the Red Hot Chili Peppers’ “The Uplift Mofo Party Plan,” or the musically textured grooves of “Return of the Dream Canteen.” Instead, it was a sneak peek at his latest passion project, “Honora,” a jazz-rooted album elevated with funk, psychedelia, and ambient numbers, released on March 27, 2026, by Nonesuch Records.

“A Plea” is a “yearning for a place beyond, a place of love, for me to speak my mind and be myself. I’m always just trying to be myself,” Flea said in a Nonesuch Records press release. “I don’t care about the act of politics. I think there is a much more transcendent place above it where there’s discourse to be had that can actually help humanity and actually help us all to live harmoniously and productively in a way that’s healthy for the world. There’s a place where we meet, and it’s love.”

“Honora” didn’t come out of nowhere; the esteemed Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist didn’t pick up a trumpet on a whim. In fact, Flea, born Michael Balzary, was enraptured by the instrument as a child, when his stepfather and his friends would jam in his family’s living room. That influence drew him to the instrument as a teenager, but the Chili Peppers — and the accompanying amorous female fandom — beckoned.

“I always wanted to play the trumpet again,” Flea explained. “But we ended up making all these hit records and doing what we did, and it started to seem impossible. I’d try it for a few months, and then I’d just be too overwhelmed with Chili Peppers and life, just the hectic, hectic pace of everything.”

A few years ago, Flea made a concentrated effort to practice the trumpet daily and began to assemble an elite group of jazz musicians to play alongside him on the 10-track album. Flea played the trumpet and bass and sang vocals, and he arranged vocal collaborations with Radiohead’s Thom Yorke and Nick Cave of Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds.

He was inspired by the Meters’ version of “Wichita Lineman” and recorded his own version for “Honora.” Flea played the piano, bass, and trumpet on the track and loved the result, but when he played it back, Cave came to mind.

“I sent what we did. Nick (Cave) responded within 30 minutes and was like, ‘Yes.’ The only catch: He had to do it the next day because he was leaving on tour,” Flea shared. “I think the day after, he sent in the recording, and it was just beautiful. I was so touched, and I was sobbing in my room listening to it. It has such a life-affirming warmth. I feel like I’m crossing over to the other side when I hear him sing it.”

Yorke, fellow bandmate in the supergroup Atoms for Peace, brought a flavor to “Traffic Lights” that was befitting of the song’s otherworldly, mesmerizing qualities. “It’s funny because people always think of Thom (Yorke) as this guy… super cerebral, intellectual, kind of cold, you know what I mean? When he’s the complete opposite,” Flea shared with Nonesuch Records. “I mean, everyone has their ways of dealing with the world. But he’s just the warmest, free-flowing, jamming motherfucker.”

Flea, a man who displays a compelling confidence when performing with the Chili Peppers, found himself in a unique position with his all-star “Honora” bandmates. His inner dialogue told him they’d identify him as an imposter, not a true jazz artist.

“It turns out they were all the most genuinely supportive people, moving me deeply and daily with their generous spirits,” Flea shared. “Sitting in a room and playing the music with them made me feel like I was on drugs. I was buzzing, tripping, and floating around the studio. I love them; they truly gave of themselves. I bow all the way down.”

“Honora” began touring in May 2026, with sold-out dates across North America and Europe, starting at Chicago’s Thalia Hall. “Songs encouraged reflection, rewarded close listening, and prioritized sincerity,” the Chicago Tribune reported. “Watching Flea, routinely ranked among the finest rock bassists in history, challenge himself with a different kind of instrument and defer to his new peers seemed rather extraordinary. It showed a strain of boundless curiosity that guards against staleness, and was a reminder that we should never stop learning from others… an inspiring show from a student who just happens to be a Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee. We should all aspire to be so bold.”