#nick flora

Five years ago today, I released my third full length album _The Reintroduction Of Nick Flora. _When I think about this record, I feel a little uneasy. I am so proud of how it turned out and some of my favorite songs I’ve ever written are on it, but it was a pretty stressful and somewhat painful process.

As I often do, I named the record before even one song was written. That often helps me mentally build a framework of the “house” in which the songs will eventually live.  Perhaps that was part of my problem. Naming something “The Reintroduction” feels like a big expectation. Honestly the name was kind of a joke since EVERY album is essentially a “reintroduction” of that artist; where they’ve been since we last heard from them, what they’ve been thinking about, etc.  I’ve always enjoyed “calling it what it is” after all.

This was also my first experience in writing most of the songs in studio.  I came in each day with most of the song then producer/collaborator Andrew Osenga and I would hammer them out and at the end of the day record what we had.  This process STRESSES me out, but is good because you CAN’T overthink it. You have to go with your gut. I remember times where we’d be talking about what a song should be or say, I’d flippantly throw out a line or thought, and Andy would just say “There. Write that down. That’s the song.” Honestly it was a good exercise in being present and trusting my creative impulse, which is scary for a “kid” who wasn’t taught to trust himself.

Mentally and spiritually, I was wrestling with a lot.  I was simultaneously trying to  figure out who I was, where I was going, while at the same time diving deep into family stories from generations previous. The result of which was ...this collection of songs.

Listening back thru the record this morning here are my thoughts on a few of the tracks:

1. The Reintroduction

I wanted to start off with a fist pumping anthem. Andy Osenga and I decided it’d be a fun experiment to try and write a rock anthem without electric guitars, but not make it in-your-face apparent.   

“It’s easier to just do as your told. Don’t question it and let it go. I'm tired of putting out words from someone else’s mouth, we gotta find it on our own.” 

These lyrics were big for me at the time. I was SMACK DAB in the middle of being embarrassed and fed up with my “copy and paste” philosophy of hearing a smart person say something and adopting it as my own viewpoint.  I was a shallow, hollow person, and I hated it. I needed to dig in to who I actually was, what I really thought, and let myself be wrong and flawed and real...for once.

2.  Lost At Sea

I remember telling producer Andy Osenga the story of my Great Uncle being the sole survivor of a submarine that went missing in WWII and he just sat there, mouth agape, and said “WHY ISN’T THIS A SONG??” I honestly hadn’t thought of making it into a song, but we decided to tackle it and see what it became. 2 hours later we emerged (pun intended) with this song, almost completely in tact. It was such a magical moment where we felt like the song was unfolding before us and we couldn’t chase it fast enough.  I love that the story has become just as popular as the song has.  I get asked to tell it a lot, and I’m happy to share. There are so many stories from that time that just go untold or completely forgotten. I’m happy that this one won’t go untold anymore ...or unsung. 

3. Part One: Hometown Kids; Part Two: Happy You’re Happy, Part Three: Luckiest Man Of All

I had the idea of writing an entire album based on my family stories. I had recently heard so many that would make amazing songs. But instead decided to divide up three of them into segments; little vignettes. Parts 1, 2, and 3 are all highlighting how my Great Uncle’s marriages ended. All, while sad, were also pretty remarkable. (Yes, the same Great Uncle that “Lost At Sea” is about.) He lived quite a life.

4. Hard Man To Love

I remember getting to the studio about an hour before anyone else and coming up with this guitar riff. Earlier I’d written down the line “I’m a hard man to love” thinking this idea would formulate into a deep and soulful ballad.  When this riff came into play I thought it’d be fun to write a rock song about those little idiosyncrasies that make us who we are, for better or for worse. This is one of my biggest rock songs, and once again, no electric guitar allowed.  So much fun making this song.

5. Nobody Gets Out Clean

I started writing this song out of anger. I was angry at my past, at my parents, at God. I was feeling as though despite my “pleasant” childhood, I had emerged an adult who didn’t know how to do lots of things, I had zero confidence in my opinions on things that mattered in this world. I hadn’t experienced much, due to the “sheltering” that had come from a conservative Christian upbringing.  This was a painful song to get thru for me.  Somewhere in then middle of it, I hit the point where anger wasn’t working and empathy settled in. It’s easier to place blame on things in our past (or people who raised us) for how we are in the present, but it’s important to remember that everyone is winging it, and trying to figure things out too.  Empathy, forgiveness, and grace are always the wisest moves.

6. Good Enough

This song was written as reminder to myself to go all in. Left to my own devices, I want to hide, be comfortable and safe in my bubble. Although I learn the most about myself and the world around me when I step out and actually show up to things. This seems like an obvious idea, but is one of those “Man, it took me a long time to realize this” kind of things. When you love, don’t hold back.

It’s been a tough year, very few will dispute that.  I was *this* close to not doing a Merry Mixmas this year, but decided that maybe it’s the little things that can make me/us feel better.  So... here we go!

If you’d like a holiday mix CD (yes, CD!) made by yours truly, shipped to YOUR mailbox, here’s how it works:

1. Email [email protected] with your NAME, MAILING ADDRESS, and a REASON to why you think you should get one. Your submission can be as creative as you want: make a video, submit in song form, poem, etc.

2. I’ll pick my favorite of the submissions and on Black Friday (Nov 25th) your personalized Merry Mixmas will ship!

3. The deadline for submitting is Wed. Nov 23rd!

Merry Mixmas everyone!

Hey guys, I started a new podcast called ALL TIME FAVORITE.  It’s co-hosted with my pal and fellow musician Allie Farris and it’s really fun! Each week we chat about one topic each that’s influenced us in our lives and our music, and the personal stories that go along with those topics.  

The first two episodes are already up on iTunes and at ATFpod.com, so go listen!

Five years ago this month my sophomore solo album HELLO STRANGER was released.  I recently revisited the record (with some slight trepidation) to write this blog post, and to my surprise I didn’t vomit everywhere out of embarrassment! (That’s always a plus.)

HELLO STRANGER has great significance to me as an artist and as a human.  I wrote that album out of a pretty dark, uncertain, but also joyous period of my life. I was so intent on writing the 10 or 11 best songs I’d ever written, but also be true to the moment in time in my life.  

I remember so vividly being tired of trying to make my music “fit in” to what I was guessing people would wanna hear, and just wrote what I wanted to. That’s a fool’s errand to begin with, and doesn’t inspire anyone, including yourself.

I did a lot of work on myself, truly asking hard questions and writing from a raw place of unbridled honesty.  I had no interest in pandering anymore, initially I made this album for me.  I wrote these songs because they had to get out of me, and if anyone else happened to like it, then that was a bonus.  

For the first time ever up to that point, I wrote honestly about my relationship struggles (Downhearted), about my spiritual journey (Long Way Home), and I even let my ego have a voice (Presence Of Greatness.)  So many of the songs are my first foray into writing from a character voice too.  I adopted a persona, found out who that person was, then wrote honestly from that perspective. 

Songs like Guilty As Charged, Temp Job, and Tired Of Me, I’m still so proud of.  I love writing songs from perspectives that haven’t been given much of a voice, or any voice at all. Temp Job still makes me happy, as ridiculous or silly as that premise is, it was so challenging to get it right. I didn’t want to make fun of the seemingly sad character I was portraying, because he wasn’t particularly sad himself, and kind of owned his place in life as the “cautionary tale.” 

I can’t talk about HELLO STRANGER without shouting out producer/collaborator Andrew Osenga.  With every album I’ve made with him, he’s the MVP.  It was so fun to toss these song ideas back and forth with him and he was tremendous help in taking them further than I had even thought.  Andy pushed me when I was ready to settle, even staying in the studio late into the night to get the right vocal take or guitar sound.  Every single note played on the record was thought out and deliberate.  I’m incredibly blessed to know him, and thankful for his collaboration. 

I’m also so thankful for HELLO STRANGER because of the people it brought into my life.  It was the first release I’d put out that people seemed to truly take notice of what I was trying to do.  I met so many amazing people, online, on the road, or otherwise, because of this record.  

Probably the biggest lesson learned thru making HELLO STRANGER was to write from the most specific and honest place you can find within yourself, don’t be afraid that people won’t relate, because as much as we think we are living a singular existence, we are all so similar and need to hear that someone else is going thru the same thing. It unites us.  That’s the power of music. That’s the power of honesty.

Get the record:

Santa Baby is a bit TMI – Holiday Mixtape // Nick Flora & Stacy Lantz

Four tracks of chilled, witty & poetic holiday music on this new EP from two talented singer/songwriters Nick Flora & Stacy Lantz. Holiday Mixtape, a meta-holiday-music song, is everything holiday music should be while affectionately poking gentle fun at everything holiday music can be. Flora & Lantz sing that the best holiday music makes you melancholy and this is the vibe of the remainder of…

That’s right! My pal Stacy Lantz and I have released a new Christmas EP today! It’s all original songs that’ll get you in the holiday spirit! The songs were produced by Andrew Osenga, cover design by Perry Brown!

Go grab it on iTunes today! https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/holiday-mixtape-ep/id1063093894