Flatland Cavalry performing at the Whitewater Amphitheater in New Braunfels, Texas on May 15, 2021, with Cleto Cordero, Reid Dillion, Wesley Hall, Jonathan Saenz, Jason Albers, and Adam Gallegos. (Photo: Ralph Arvesen)
There's an old adage in the music business, hurry up and wait. It’s as old as time itself and still rings true today. All too often, we’re stuck in a no man’s land where the present is almost non-existent. You look at the past, the “good old days,” with rose-colored glasses. The future is presented as when everything will be figured out and make sense, there’s an unparalleled optimism towards the future. Days drag on, but the years fly by.
With their highly anticipated sophomore album, Homeland Insecurity, Texas’ Flatland Cavalry wants to stop and smell the roses. Bandleader and chief lyricist Cleto Cordero is fine with examining and the present. There’s an appreciation for all the sharp detail and high-spirited emotions of today.
Flatland Cavalry, the aforementioned Cordero, guitarist Reid Dillon, bassist Jonathan Saenz, drummer Jason Albers, and newest member, fiddle player Wesley Hall, has been stretching their legs across the country this past year after honing their craft and voice in the music boomtown of Lubbock, Texas.
“We’re all just out of college,” says Cordero. “We’re in our mid-twenties. We’re all told growing up that by the time you’re out of school, you’ll have it all figured out, but that’s not really how it is. You’re still out there trying to find yourself.”
It’s not a jump into adult life. That’s a facade and outright lie. Life doesn’t happen that way. You don’t turn 25 and become a fully-formed person. Rather, Homeland Insecurity finds Flatland exploring the anxieties, unsureness, growth, resilience, falters, fear, maturation, and eventual lessons learned as you grow older.
By no means does Cordero and company feel they have it figured out, but rather, are trying to figure it out themselves as well. “I think at some point, you feel like you need to grow-up, but you don’t know how,” says Cordero. “You’re searching for that path though. You’re overturning every rock trying to find the secret that gets on to the next. I’m not trying to be a teacher or anything. I just wish someone would have told me earlier on and saved me the heartache of it all.”
Homeland Insecurity finds Flatland further evolving as musicians and storytellers. They continue to expand their sonic palettes while remaining true to those defining characteristics that made them rising standouts years ago. On their previous releases, Come May and Humble Folks, Cordero and company harnessed untethered emotions, feel-good rhythms, and simple raw energy to make it into the hearts of fans and critics. There was power in Cordero’s proverbial pen that resonated with the highs and lows of college life.
Flatland Cavalry isn’t stuck in a rut. Despite embracing the harsh realities of modern civilization and the anxieties of life, Flatland carves out their own path on Homeland Insecurity.
"This was one hell of a show. Flatland Cavalry yams WCG put on an incredible show together. It was great seeing them. FC has an incredible sound and puts on a great show. Don’t miss a chance to see them if you can."Flatland Cavalry was the main act at the Whitewater Amphitheater with guests Kaitlin Butts. They continue across the United States with the last stop at the Golden Nugget in Lake Charles, Louisiana on November 19, 2021.
"Great show! We are Texans and it was so good to see Texas Country. Flatland Cavalry was energetic and you could tell they loved playing. Cannot wait to see them again!"
"Great concert!! So much fun watching the band in awe when people sing their songs! Their energy was awesome!! & they gave us an encore!!"
"This was the first time I’ve gotten to see Flatland perform in I don’t know how many years I’ve been listening to them! They definitely rocked it at the county fair and I’m definitely gonna be trying to go to a lot more shows!"
Flatland Cavalry
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Photos by Ralph Arvesen
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