Inside Wyatt Flores’ Intimate, Invite-Only Sophomore Album Release Party in Nashville

Wyatt Flores’ sophomore album may be called Scared of Heights, but the singer is stepping into his next era with out an ounce of fear.

In the wake of the July release of his latest LP, Flores stopped by the new CAA offices in Nashville to play a four-song set for the people that helped bring the project to fruition.

As individuals from Flores’ management, label, and public relations teams munched on a lunch of sandwiches and salads, the artist took to the room’s small stage to show off his talent.

Flores was at once both confident and demure in front of the intimate room. As soon as he stepped onto the stage, Flores asked the room, “Am I supposed to do story time for these?”

Wyatt Flores Breaks Down Standout Tracks on Scared of Heights

Once that was confirmed, Flores easily transitioned into the story behind the first song of his set, “Drive All Night,” which came to be during a writing camp.

“I was like, ‘Hey, man. If it’s alright, can I leave early on our last day? Are we going to be super busy? ‘Cause there’s this girl that I really like. She’s all the way in South Dakota, so I guess I’m going to drive 14 hours through the night,’” he recalled. “They were like, ‘You’re going to do what?!… We have to write about that.’”

With the idea set, Flores “just started screaming some random things, and that’s how this entire song came to be.”

“I think it’s incredibly fun because I’m such a goofy guy, and this is a super sexy song,” he quipped, before beginning the mid-tempo track that perfectly captures the angst of a faraway love.

Next up was “Half a Man,” the song on the album that Flores said he’s most proud of.

“This song’s about going home, my struggles with going home ever since leaving,” he explained. “… It always felt like I changed, however everything else was staying the same back home. That was a really tough thing for me. They only remembered me for who I was when I left.”

The tune sees Flores lean into a more country tone in both his voice and the song’s instrumentation, a far cry from “Not Good Enough,” the 2000s pop/punk-inspired track he played next.

“As soon as I wrote this one, and the next day wrote “Runnin’ On E,” I knew that was the direction that I was running,” he said. “It was so much fun for me. I knew that these songs, the way that they were written, I wasn’t going to do what I’ve always done… It challenged me to write in a way that I never have before.”

As for the story behind the track, Flores said it’s all about being “addicted to the hurt.”

“The backstory on it was, ‘Dude, breakup with this chick. You’re going so far downhill. And for what?’” he recalled, as he began the song about a toxic love.

Wyatt Flores Plays the Saddest Song on His Sophomore LP

Flores opted to end his set with “Tulsa and Eleanor,” which he said was “one of the saddest songs” he’s ever written.

Before beginning the track, a candid Flores opened up about how his struggles with anxiety and sleep led him to self-medicate with an unhealthy mix of substances.

“Never mix weed, with Benadryl, with melatonin, with drinking. It’s just not a good thing,” Flores advised with a laugh, before sharing how the cocktail prompted him to have “these really crazy ass dreams.”

“I literally thought that I was shot in the back of the head off 65 here in Nashville. It felt so real that I woke up, and I was like, ‘What the hell was that?’” he recalled. “… I started telling [my co-writers] what I was going through, this entire thing. It turns into a therapy session when you’re in there.”

With that, the group ordered a six pack and got to work on the song. Flores immersed himself in the devastation the song required as he performed. However, as soon as he played the final note, the happy, grateful, and carefree musician returned to the stage.

“This is the most proud that I’ve ever been of an album. It’s the most fun I’ve ever had making one. This is the most fun that I’ve ever had releasing one,” he told the room of supporters “… Thank you all for being here. Thank you for changing my life.”

Photo by Matt Paskert