NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Ross Flora, an Americana soulful songwriter with a rock ‘n roll charisma, releases his self-written and self-produced single “Creek Ran Red” ahead of his upcoming EP As The Crow Flies releasing this fall. The single is about the profound part of local history that took place in Ross’ hometown of Virginia during the prohibition era. The connection to the story, passed down from Ross’ father, adds a sense of significance, making it a unique connection. Ross encapsulates the voice of a performer that expresses the character of someone’s life through “Creek Ran Red.”
Through his storytelling soul, Ross says, “‘Creek Ran Red’ is about a legendary standoff that happened just southwest of my hometown during the prohibition era between a bootlegging outfit and the feds. My dad told me the story as a kid, and it always seemed like such a profound piece of our local history, like our own OK Corral just a few miles down the road. If you’ve ever seen the movie ‘Lawless,’ it’s based on the same story.
A story passed on by Ross’ dad about the defiant and rebellious spirit that characterizes country music is often drawn from inspiration and real-life events. The Prohibition era, with its outlawed alcohol and the rise of bootleggers, is a rich source of material for country music singers and songwriters. “I wrote ‘Creek Ran Red’ to pass on a story as it was told to me. I’m not the first or the last to write a song about bootlegging, but I tried to put myself and the listener in the character’s place. A good man that has been living on a razor’s edge just to provide, knowing that the laws of man have caught up to him, not asking God to intervene but just asking for heaven not to watch what must be done in his final acts,” adds Ross.
As a roots-driven artist, Ross is able to empathetically capture the storytelling that has defined country music history and recognize its vision. As a songwriter, he is among some of his musical influences, including Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson, and Waylon Jennings, who actively used the word outlaw in country music due to the struggles of people turning to bootlegging as a means of survival and income.
Ross says, “The first time I heard the words ‘they said that the creek ran red’ from my dad, it was obviously shocking. I grew up in church and went to a Christian school, so the story of what happened there almost seemed like some apocalyptic plague; the pointless loss of life over greed and a prohibition law that lasted all of 13 years seems like such an earthly failure that, to me, certainly fits the bill for one.”
Country music frequently draws from cultural experiences and places an emphasis on personal stories. For Ross, “The little one-lane back road that runs beside that creek is one of my dad and I’s favorite motorcycle routes, and riding through that beautiful stretch knowing the story will raise the hair on your neck.”
“Creek Ran Red” reflects on the desperation and challenges faced by Appalachian culture. “So much of what people know about that side of Appalachian culture is glamorized and nearly pure fiction; I wanted to write about a real story. While a few people ended up wealthy from making and running Moonshine, for most, it was a last resort just to survive and the only option to keep their families fed. The saying ‘folks too poor to feel the Great Depression’ was absolutely true in Appalachia at that time. My grandpa is rolling over in his grave, knowing I wrote a song about bootlegging, but my family line was lucky enough to have a few chickens and a garden during that time and were able to scrape by when so many weren’t,” says Ross.
Ross skillfully blends different genres of music in his songwriting and self-production, resulting in his unique and distinct sound. He recently played the NXNE Music Festival in Toronto, Canada, and is set to play the Songwriter Showcase Writers Block on Tuesday, September 5th, at the 5 Spot in Nashville at 7:30 p.m. CST. On Sunday, November 11th, he will be a featured artist for the Music City Cares Benefit Show, which is the biggest Veterans Day celebration in the country.
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