It’s been nearly a year since Wyatt Flores hit the road.

“I’ve learned more in the last 11 months than I could have ever imagined with success, heartbreak, and failure. It’s all a part of the journey,” Flores said.

His new EP, Life Lessons, is a compilation of tales from being a 20-something growing into himself in a 18-passenger van next to some of his best friends.

“People say, ‘Oh my God, you're so lucky. You get to be on stage in front of thousands of people.’ But, I wanted to show people what it’s like to be in the van,” Flores said on TikTok live on the eve of the release.

“Good morning son, I hope you guys are on the road. Just calling to check on you and see where you’re at. I love you,” is the first sound you’ll hear on the opening track “Orange Bottles.” An archival voicemail that’s surely one of many, setting the stage for a harsh look at reality being a young man chasing dreams wherever they’ll take him.

“Orange Bottles” is a sorrowful and authentic dialog from inside the depths of Flores’ head painted with anxiety yet hopefulness. The song quickly became a crowd favorite since its debut on TikTok in March of 2022.

Waking up sure feels like falling down, but I’ll get high again at the next town. It’s so hard to keep my head up feeling like I’m out on the run. Who am I kidding, who have I become? What am I chasing, who have I become?”

If you could put a stethoscope to Flores’ heart, I believe you’d hear the title track “Life Lessons.” It’s a celebratory realization looking back on his life to this point: Leaving school to hit the road beside his best friends. It’s a soundtrack coming from the best times they’ve had running the road.

I’m taking Life Lessons. Grow my hair too long, become a vagabond, and do some wild livin’. No, I aint no preacher, but their aint no better teacher, than a big ole slice of humble pie on the road of life to find what I’ve been missin’.

He’s the wildcat in town, in a different sense than he used to be. That’s right, Flores was his alma mater’s mascot. He’s come a long way since being “the biggest p***y on the field.”

“3/13” is a lovesick, rock-bottom story of fighting love ties on the road. Flores gives you a vivid snapshot of realization in this track: Now there’s blood on the dashboard and there’s credit cards on the floor. I’m crawling out the window of my passenger side door, your picture’s on the dashboard and that’s the only thing I saw. You're always first to catch me when I fall and I’m sorry you were my last call.

Sandwiched in the middle of the record are fan favorites “Holes” and “West of Tulsa,” two tracks that continue Flores’ themes of the record showcasing the feelings that found him somewhere west of home.

Flores’ career has been self-driven since the start, one he characterizes as a “rocket ship made of holes and glue” in the track that ties Life Lessons together. He recalls “Astronaut” being one of the favorite songs he’s ever written. It paints a brutally honest picture of the isolation that meets you as an artist, one that often feels like you may be alone in space.

Houston we may have a problem ‘cause I’m up here and I aint falling just for you. Pretty soon I’ll be the man on the moon if I can land this rocket ship made of holes and glue.

Flores isn’t done just yet, in fact he’s just getting started. He’ll be debuting at the Ryman Auditorium in December beside Charles Wesley Godwin and Cole Chaney, a dream-team that managed to sell out both nights. Until then, he’ll be packed in the van beside all the folks that make this journey worthwhile.

Listen to Life Lessons today, wherever you get your music.

Find out more about Wyatt Flores at the links below: