Last week, West Texas Frequency spoke with Jason Albers of Flatland Cavalry to discuss West Texas, playing a hometown show, and the band’s new album “Work of Heart”
The band will headline Tall City Music Fest in Midland, Texas on Saturday, May 2nd, at Centennial Park.
You grew up and went to school in the Midland, West Texas area. Did you ever think your life out here would lead you to a successful music career?
[Laughs] I’ll be honest with you. I had always wished, but you really never thought so. I’ve got family for a couple generations out in Midland/Odessa. All the men in my family worked in oil and my grandfather is a land man, my dad is a safety guy, my brother is a pumper, all that stuff. And I just thought, that’s what you did until I got my first I got my first drum set. I had just moved to Midland from a smaller town north called Seminole: peanuts, cotton, a farming community, but originally I was born in Odessa, so I am from the area.
But long story short, I was the new kid in eighth grade, and moved to Midland that summer. I didn’t have friends yet, so mom got me a drum set. It was my cousin’s and whatever I was listening to at the time, I just tried to mock. There’d be those days where I was the only kid at home and you get these bright-eyed- bushy-tailed ideas like, “man playing a show sounds awesome” In eighth grade I met a guy named Cleto and for Lent his parents took away TV and gave him a guitar. We get to talking and it was like “hey, man you want to hang out and jam or something.” It kind of started from there and was like “Hey, this is my thing. I’m a kid, and this is my thing. I like music.” And then I just kept going. I didn’t really know how to stop.
Then I went up to Texas Tech and started playing some shows over there with Cleto and met some people. I would book a couple of shows over at the college bars, play four hour cover shows. We were all going to school for something else, because no one really knew anyone that was doing it in music. Then we got the degrees and bought a van and said,” Hey, let’s just go for it”
That’s what you have to do sometimes: just go for it.
You’ve got to take the risk. I think we were young enough. We had just enough guts and not enough brains to do it. A lot of lessons learned on the road and a lot of great people we met along the way. It takes a full circle: the success that we have now is a big group effort, and man, we’re so thankful for it.
How would you say growing up out here affected the style of music you played, if you if it did at all?
I didn’t realize that Midland wasn’t the center of the universe until I had moved away, right? [laughs] I got generations there, so it just kind of felt that way, but I realized not many people came through. Other touring acts came to the area like Dos Amigos in Odessa, The Horseshoe in Midland, or Rockin’ Rodeo. Either way, it was the Texas country acts like Randy Rogers and Wade Bowen and William Clark Green, Jason Boland and The Stragglers, and then people like Willie Nelson even came through. That was the music we were like “let’s emulate that.” We would get a small gig. In high school even, we had some people we knew hire us for a block party. We would scrounge as many songs we could. A lot of those songs were the likes of Randy Rogers, Wade Bowen, andStoney LaRue. You learn those songs and then you make them your own, in a way. The Turnpike Troubadours: man, they had a strong fiddle. Wouldn’t it be awesome if we had a fiddle in our band? And we found someone in Lubbock that did that. The building blocks started from there in the beginning.
Y’all are playing Tall City Music Fest May 2nd. What does it mean for you to be able to come home and play a show here? Like you said, there weren’t and aren’t a lot of acts coming through here, which is part of why I started this site, because the few shows that do come through here, there’s no coverage of them. People are showing up, but there’s no documentation of it. But that wasn’t the question. [laughs] You’re coming home next week and playing a show. What does that mean for you?
It means so much. And two, I think that’s really cool, what you’re doing. The music, the art scene in Midland I imagine is growing because at the end of the day, there’s a lot of people coming through the area for the opportunity to make money. I’ve always seen it as a working town. When stuff comes through like that, you’re right. It doesn’t really get too much coverage, but it’s always been a town where it’s great to have a community and families. There’s churches on every corner. The family unit is strong and it really means a lot to come back and play the hometown. I’ve got family coming through. I know Cleto does as well. It means a lot to be able to do some really cool things that we’ve done in the past. Being an opener for stadium shows, nominations for ACMs, play on different continents, then take it all back to where it began for myself and bring that home: it actually means a lot. I’m really, really excited for it.
Your band Flatland Cavalry just released the new album, “Work of Heart.” What has the response to that been?
It’s been awesome. It’s truly one of my favorite albums that we’ve put out. Of course, I say that for every new album that comes out, but I really do feel that way. The response has been crazy. We’ve really tried to stay to our roots, but also push ourselves creatively. We’ve got a rocking song, like “Unglued” and then songs that sound familiar, like “Bird’s Eye View.” Cleto is the chief songwriter and his words have always stayed true. He’s such an authentic dude. He is what he is and I respect it. So there’s been growing as a band and sound, and writing as a band together. But the response from everyone else has just been incredible. A lot of love on social media and such. “Never Come Back” is actually our first song on Country radio, like National Country radio. I think it’s almost about to break Top 40. Last week, it was like 41, which is crazy. Growing up listening to Top 40 Country in the garage, or Dad’s picking you up in the truck from school, and it’s just kind of on in the background of your life. So, that’s just been so cool to see.
On Facebook, there is a video that explains the album cover and the different pieces of fabric that made the anatomical heart on the album cover. Where did that idea come from?
That was masterminded by a guy named Scott Faris at Amusement Park Studio up in Lubbock. He was our producer for the first three projects that we put out. He’s been a mentor in a lot of ways. The guy is straight up an artist through and through with anything that he does and how he lives his life. I believe the idea was trying to come through as a work of heart: almost an ode to those who make something with their hands. What he did, with all those different patterns, I believe he made them himself, along with his family, who were all in on the artwork as well, and his mother. If you look at the front of the album, there’s a stitched heart. She made that with her hands, which is incredible. And if you go to Lubbock to his studio right in the middle of town, next to campus, he’s got that stuff in the window. He is just a really neat, creative guy. I think him and Cleto conjured it up and thinking ideas. He’s always been a part of the visual creatives from our stuff. He’s definitely contributed positively in that way.
I know you just released the album, but what is next? Obviously, tour and things like that, but is there anything else you have coming down the line?
We’re focusing on the album right now. We’ve got our full “Work of Heart” tour that kicked off about a month ago, and the tour has got 65 dates. We are doing what we do: coast to coast, bringing our show. We try to level up our show every single time. Now, we’ve got a visual board behind us and all these different things trying to show new facets to our artistry. We’ve got festivals. I believe we’ve got a stadium show with Morgan Wallen in Indianapolis in a couple weeks, the week after we play in Midland. We’re just trying to focus on growing our community with our fan base and growing with other artists we play shows with. Also, just enjoying the album and being able to play a new album on stage is so refreshing and we’ll be doing that for the rest of the year.
Is there anything else that you want to add?
Other than the fact that “Work of Heart” is out everywhere you get your music and anyone from all walks of life is always welcome to a Flatland show. Just like Willie Nelson brought together the hippies and the cowboys, we aim to do the same thing with anyone as long as everyone’s having an easy, cool time. Join us.
That makes it sound like a cult. [laughs]
I think cults have robes and we don’t have any Kool Aid. Plus, there’s only 90 minutes and the only money you’re spending is on a ticket.
That can be arranged.
It could and we do have merch: T-shirts and all. That could supplement in the place of robes. You never know.
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