Wyatt Flores – Welcome to the Plains
Oklahoma is having an extended moment in country and roots music. Cross Canadian Ragweed has joined Turnpike Troubadours on the reunion circuit (and for a series of sold-out stadium shows next spring). Zach Bryan continues to fill football fields and entice none other than Bruce Springsteen to play with him on multiple occasions. And the spigot of Sooner State talent won’t turn off. The latest star-to-be – 23-year-old Wyatt Flores. After a series of singles and EPs quickly caused ears to perk up, and following a wildly popular appearance at BMI’s AmericanaFest Kick-off Party, the earnest, young singer-songwriter is ready to release his first full-length record. Welcome to the Plains is a refreshingly unsentimental look back at growing up in a small city that feels even smaller if you’re one who doesn’t leave.
Welcome to the Plains kicks off with the title track, penned with Ketch Secor (Old Crow Medicine Show). The mid-tempo twanger begins with Flores observing life outside of his town from the turnpike – “Watch old sedans and semis/And wonder where they’re going and where they’ve been” – with the sad curiosity inherent in someone who knows he’ll never leave. The lyrics are full of Oklahoma heartbreak, best summed up in “Where dreams go drying up like rain/Welcome to the plains.” That’s not to say that Flores doesn’t love his homeland. The deceptively morbidly titled “When I Die” is a pedal steel-led urge to enjoy the small town, because death doesn’t matter near as much as life: “Cut me in half/’Cause funerals cost a lot/Let my family split the bill and put me in a to-go box.”
The sweetly sad “Oh, Susannah” addresses the topic of taking on too much emotional weight, whether it’s as a friend or a songwriter – “Why did I believe I could save you, darlin’/Without killing me” (Flores had to separate from the road a bit earlier this year, as taking on that type of weight nightly began to wear on him). Elsewhere on Welcome to the Plains, melancholy is balanced by upbeat tunes. “Only Thing Missing Is You,” in particular, pits light 90s country sway and a (rare) positive outlook on touring – “Got all that I want/From a couple of tunes/It’s a hell of a life/With all I get to do” – against that one face who’s missing from the picture.
Flores’ best songs, though, still live in Oklahoma. “Little Town” is a heartland rocker that portrays folks happy to stay around their erstwhile boomtown – “And there may be some broke down cars sitting in my neighbor’s yard/But that don’t make no difference when the sunset paints the sky.” But “Stillwater” reflects a different subset of lifelong townies – the ones who want to leave, but know they never will. Watching the annual rotation of transient college kids wears on the narrator, seeing all of the changes in his city that aren’t meant for him – “”Cause they made Perkins Road a little wider this year/Just to make it easier to get the hell out of here.” It’s a heartbreaking way to grow up (and grow old), which is a big chunk of the reason Flores never finished his own studies at Oklahoma State. By pursuing music, though, he’s secured his own ticket out of town. Even if his characters won’t ever leave his small city, Wyatt Flores is most definitely going places.
Song I Can’t Wait to Hear Live: “The Truth” – a good ol’ fashion country rock song that exemplifies one of the other strengths of Welcome to the Plains – giving the band room to breathe, including an excellent Mike LoPinto guitar solo at the end.
Welcome to the Plains was produced and mixed by Beau Bedford, recorded by Phillip Smith and mastered by Adam Grover. All songs written by Wyatt Flores, with co-writes going to Ketch Secor, David DeVaul, Aaron Raitiere, Gavin Lucas, Brad Clawson, Rose Falcon, David Hodges, Ricky Manning, Nick Bailey, Blake Pendergrass, Jackson Lee Morgan, Jamie McLaughlin, Austin Yankunas and Cole Miracle. Musicians on the album include Wyatt Flores (vocals, electric guitar), Mike LoPinto (acoustic and electric guitar), Beau Bedford (acoustic guitar, B3 organ, piano, mandolin, baritone guitar, bass, backing vocals), Misa Arriaga (bass, acoustic guitar), Aksel Coe (drums, percussion), Will Van Horn (pedal steel guitar), Matt Combs (fiddle, mandolin), Joey McClellan (guitar, acoustic guitar), Austin Yankunas (background vocals), Kenzie Miracle (background vocals), Clem Braden (background vocals) and David DeVaul (background vocals).
Go here to order Welcome to the Plains (out October 18): https://shop.wyattfloresmusic.com/
Check out tour dates here: https://shop.wyattfloresmusic.com/pages/tour
Enjoy our previous coverage here: AmericanaFest 2024: Day 1
