Flatland Cavalry offers loving reassurance with their heartfelt new single, “Oughta See You (the Way I Do).” Penned by lead vocalist Cleto Cordero and veteran singer/songwriter Will Hoge, the sweet country love song celebrates the beauty we often can’t see in the mirror.
“A couple weeks before pre-production on our fourth LP, I got a hunch to write before going into the studio, seeking a last minute ‘Hail Mary,’” Cordero says in a statement. “Of all the songs in contention to be recorded, I realized we were still missing a fun love song. I’ve written some really great songs with Will Hoge, and I knew if I hit him up, we’d come up with something. [The] only thing is…I didn’t have any hooks to bring in until the morning of the write.”
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He wasn’t aware at the time, but the spark of lyrical inspiration Cordero was looking for was standing right in front of him.
“As I’m brushing my teeth, my wife asked me what I was gonna write about that day, and I told her I wasn’t sure,” adds Cordero. “At the time, she’d been struggling with what she saw in the mirror and wasn’t practicing what she preaches about self-love. And I was heartbroken and frustrated watching her torture herself about it all.
“That morning, she said, ‘Yesterday you said something that stuck with me, ‘I wish you could see yourself the way that I do. Write that,’ to which I retorted with my toothbrush microphone, ‘You oughta see you, the way I do,’ he continues. “I took the idea to Will, and we ran with it.”
[RELATED: Will Hoge Fosters Inclusivity and Community with “Can I Be Country Too?”]
The result is “Oughta See You (the Way I Do),” Flatland Cavalry’s second new single of the year. Cordero hopes that the song’s message of self-love, backed by groovy country-rock instrumentation, connects with listeners looking for a jolt of positivity.
Flatland Cavalry will wrap up their year with a lengthy set of U.S. tour dates, supporting Lainey Wilson, Parker McCollum, and Jordan Davis. Fans can find a complete list of upcoming performances and ticketing information by visiting the band’s official website.
Listen to Flatland Cavalry’s new single “Oughta See You (the Way I Do) below.
Flatland Cavalry 2023 Tour Dates:
August 26—Alexandria, LA @ Bulls, Bands & Barrels
September 7—Columbus, OH @ Kemba LIVE! §
September 8—Sandwich, IL @ Sandwich Fair §
September 9—Green Bay, WI @ Resch Center §
September 15—Pryor, OK @ Born and Raised Festival
September 16—Waco, TX @ The Backyard Bar Stage and Grill
September 22—Dallas, TX @ The Factory In Deep Ellum
September 23—Amarillo, TX @ Starlight Ranch Event Center
September 26—Morrison, CO @ Red Rocks Amphitheatre #
September 29—Corpus Christi, TX @ Brewster Street Ice House
September 30—Pasadena, TX @ Pasadena Livestock Show
October 5—Bakersfield, CA @ The Historic Bakersfield Fox Theater
October 6—Monterey, CA @ Rebels and Renegades Music Festival
October 7—Stateline, NV @ Harrah’s Lake Tahoe
October 8—Paradise, CA @ Paradise Performing Arts Center
October 11—Flagstaff, AZ @ Orpheum Theater
October 12—Tucson, AZ @ Rialto Theatre
October 13—San Diego, CA @ Cal Coast Credit Union Open Air Theatre ‡
October 14—Los Angeles, CA @ YouTube Theater ‡
October 19—Austin, TX @ Moody Theater
October 20—Fort Smith, AR @ Temple Live
October 21—College Station, TX @ Live at the Station Festival
November 10—Norman, OK @ Riverwind Casino
April 1-5, 2024—Miami, FL @ The Last Resort Cruise
‡ supporting Parker McCollum
§ supporting Jordan Davis
# supporting Lainey Wilson
(Photo by Fernando Garcia, Courtesy of Sacks & Co.)