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Ross Flora

Ross Flora Brought Emotional Rock Back Home in ‘Cornerstone’

Those Americana rock riffs never age, especially when they’re laid down by hands as deft as Ross Flora’s evidently are. With the lyrics in his latest single, Cornerstone, heart and soul are pried open, and out pours resonance for anyone who has ever found their centre of gravity within the arms of another.

With the glow of the 80s radiating from the nostalgically magnetic production, Cornerstone almost feels like it could have been torn from a Hollywood blockbuster, which tracks a protagonist from being down on his faith to finding the illumination at the end of the tunnel through connection.

With razor-sharp songwriting chops, a tendency to never leave sincerity from sentimentality, and guitar licks that no Southern rock fan could turn their nose up at, Ross Flora is the aural comfort we never knew we needed on our playlists. The Blue Ridge Mountains native has built a career around channelling the sounds of his roots through his own signature timbre, shaped as much by classic Southern rock and bluegrass as it is by the literary giants he studied as an English major.

Since cutting his teeth on church harmonies and Van Halen covers, Flora’s evolution has taken him from family farm stages to the legendary Blackbird Studios in Nashville, where his poetic narratives and melodic nous continue to bloom. Cornerstone marks another resounding step in a career driven by passion, resilience, and a voice that was clearly never meant to be kept quiet.

Cornerstone is now available on all major streaming platforms via this link. 

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Ross Flora – Santa Ana Wind: A Whiskey-Soaked Country Blues Rock Ode to a Femme Fatale

If you’re looking for a track that anchors itself in the quintessence of bluesy country rock, look no further than Ross Flora’s latest single, ‘Santa Ana Wind’, which speaks rhythmic volumes of the singer-songwriter’s seasoned artistry as a fret veteran.

With the sublimity of the single manifesting through the gravelly timbre of whiskey-soaked vocal lines that caustically cut across the winding, sustained guitar notes, it is destined to become a sonic sanctuary for anyone who feels at home in the Nashville sound.

Ross Flora, with a guitar in hand, Flora becomes a conduit of hypnotism, weaving an alchemic spell that prompts you to ponder just when his visage will grace the halls of rock n’ roll fame. His cultivated ability to wrap an aura of seductive soul around his virtuosity is a testament to his rightful place in the annals of music legends.

Raised in the shadow of the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia, Ross’s origin story was written early after exposure to a tapestry of R&B and Bluegrass influences. From harmonising in church pews under his father’s tutelage to shredding Van Halen tracks in his youth, his path has always been marked by intrepid sonic exploration, which continued when he put down roots in Nashville and amassed a legion of fans with his unique ability to paint panoramic portraits through sound and soul.

With ‘Santa Ana Wind’, Ross Flora ensnares the listener in a narrative wrought from his rural roots and life’s meanderings, underscored by his literary acumen and deep respect for his musical forebears like Gregg Allman and Chris Cornell.  It’s impossible to reach the last note without finding equal amounts of room in your heart and on your music radar for Ross Flora.

Santa Ana Wind was officially released on September 6th; stream it on all major platforms via this link.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Ross Flora grappled with the melancholy of unfulfilled potential in ‘As the Crow Flies’

Ross Flora

Ross Flora’s EP, As the Crow Flies, is a poignant and reflective journey through the heart of country folk. Hailing from the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia, Flora’s upbringing in a milieu rich with R&B and Bluegrass influences is palpably reflected in the acoustically adorned, stripped-back title single. His gruff, resonant timbres weave through the wistful yearning harmonies, creating a tapestry of sound that resonates deeply with anyone who has ever grappled with the melancholy of unfulfilled potential.

The lyrical tempo of As the Crow Flies is akin to a melodied spoken word sermon, imbued with regretful poetry. Flora’s background as an English major shines through in his lyrical craftsmanship, as he skilfully interweaves themes reminiscent of literary greats like Dickinson, Thoreau, and Whitman. The result is a narrative that is both deeply personal and universally relatable; Someone hand him a Grammy for the line “I’d be half the man I’d ought to be less than half the time”.

Ross Flora’s journey from the family farm to Nashville, performing over 4,000 shows and collaborating with acts like “Johnny T” Band and “Smoke n’ Guns,” has clearly honed his ability to capture the essence of southern rock and outlaw country. If you want to hear a heart poured out in melody, hit play on As the Crow Flies.

Stream the As the Crow Flies EP, which debuted on October 27 on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast