Watch Wyatt Flores Deliver a Stripped-Down Cover of Turnpike Troubadours’ “Kansas City Southern” at Red Rocks Park

Wyatt Flores’ career has been growing by leaps and bounds since he released his debut single “Losing Sleep” in 2022. The Oklahoma native quickly became a favorite among fans of independent country music and has since seen success on the road. Earlier this month, he opened for fellow Oklahoma stars the Turnpike Troubadours at the iconic Red Rocks Amphitheater in Colorado. While there, he was able to do more than his opening set.

While in Colorado, Flores took part in a couple of unique recording opportunities. First, he teamed up with A-list mandolin player Sierra Hull for an acoustic cover of “Shake the Frost” by Tyler Childers. The “Please Don’t Go” singer and his band also recorded a three-song set for Red Rocks’ Trail Mix series. The video below shows them playing stripped-down renditions of “Running Out of Time,” “Milwaukee,” and a cover of Turnpike Troubadours’ “Kansas City Southern.”

[RELATED: “From Sleeping on an Air Mattress To Playing Red Rocks”: Wyatt Flores Tearfully Thanks Those Who Helped Him Live His “Crazy Dream”]

These stripped-back arrangements see Flores and his band playing in the style of an acoustic string band. The presence of mandolin, fiddle, and the band’s vocal harmonies give these songs a bluegrass sound which differs from Flores’ usual sound and shows his range as a performer.

Wyatt Flores Talks Songwriting and Sharing a Positive Message

During the set, Flores also took time to talk about his songwriting and more. “You could start off with something someone says and you start writing the song. Most of the time it’s just whatever’s going on in life and you try to draw the main idea from it then start writing to it,” he said of how his songs come about. “The music process, on the other hand, I’ve been very vocal about getting to play whatever style of music I want to. That way, I don’t get trapped in a box. That has been awesome to see it come to life and to be able to do so,” he added. “I hope that fans enjoy that. I think it gives everyone a little bit of something if they want it.”

Later in the video, Flores discusses the message he wants to put out with his music. “The message that I’m after is to motivate people to live. I hope that they get the motivation to look at their life and see what more they can do for themselves. That’s really all I’m after and to not take life for granted. I’m just grateful. …Any song that I get to sing, even if they gave me one song I’d be happy. I don’t know how I got this lucky, I don’t remember meeting a leprechaun, but I can’t believe it,” he said.

Featured Image by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images for Stagecoach