Flatland Cavalry frontman Cleto Cordero opened up about overcoming stage fright during a recent conversation with Bobby Bones.
Cordero joined the National Radio Hall of Fame member on a new episode of The BobbyCast. During the conversation, Bobby Bones noted that the country artist is “a pretty introverted guy,” when he’s not on stage with his bandmates. He wanted to know, “where does the extroversion come from?”
“I do appreciate solitude,” Cordero confirmed. “I was raised Catholic, so there was a portion of my life where my parents would turn off the TVs for the Lent season, which is how I learned how to play guitar. And we would play charades, and entertain each other, and make each other laugh. There was something about performing and being big and just being silly, really. It wasn’t like, ‘look at me.’ So, I think it comes from that. I used to, when I started to play for people, like when I was 18…I would get so terrified with stage fright. So it’s not like I need to like, ‘hey, look at me, look at me.’ It was more like, you wanted to connect with people, and maybe a song finds them well.
“But I couldn’t think about it so much so that I would just, like, pretend that I wasn’t gonna play a show,” he continued. “Just literally dissociate with having to think about playing is nerve-wracking. And to this day, I’m like, I’m confident, and so I’m not nervous, but drink and substances and all those things never made me a better performer. So I’m thankful I’ve learned that the hard way.”
Cordero is part of Flatland Cavalry with Jason Albers, Jonathan Saenz, Reid Dillon and Wesley Hall. The lead vocalist recently spoke with iHeartCountry about Flatland Cavalry’s tour and newest studio album, Work Of Heart, a 12-track album that includes the band’s new radio single, “Never Comin’ Back.” Cordero said he’s feeling “excited and eager,” as he looks ahead to what’s next with the band.
Bobby Bones talked with Cordero about “the band’s rise, from how they first came together to finding their sound and building a loyal fanbase. Cleto also opens up about overcoming stage fright, the surreal moment of smoking a joint with one of his heroes, and what he’s learned along the way as the band continues to grow. He also reflects on the moments that shaped him as a songwriter and why staying true to the band’s roots still matters.” Find the full episode of The BobbyCast here, or watch on Netflix.