The story of Flor sounds ready-made for a feature film: Four old friends start a rock band, realize they have a snappy sound, and decide to leave their small hometown to pursue their dreams in the nearest unforgiving metropolis. They find success, sign to a tastemaking record label (Fueled by Ramen), record a solid debut album, and tour all over the place.
In fiction, right here is where the band gets hoodwinked by a scummy manager type, and their interpersonal relationships become strained; fights over money, drugs, and/or fame ensue. Instead, here is where Flor strays from the typical script. Formed in Hood River, the savvy pop-rock quartet spent half a decade or so doing the LA thing, but before things could turn sour, they discovered who they are and what they do well, and half the band headed back north to live a life in Oregon that’s balanced and deeply rooted.
“I moved back to my family’s farm and renovated a cabin,” says McKinley Kitts, Flor’s guitarist. “I spend half the year in a one-bedroom cabin and half the year traveling the world on tour. It’s kind of a dream, actually.”