Flea on his wild path from childhood to the Chili Peppers: ‘Thank God I’ve changed’

After a career with the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Flea has his first solo album. “I’m making music that occupies its own place in the world and that feels that’s good to me,” he says of Honora. Gus Van Sant

Gus Van Sant

Before he was the kinetic bassist known as Flea of the Red Hot Chili Peppers, he was Mike, a kid transfixed by the jazz his stepdad played with friends at home.