Never skip a Flatland performance.
Undeniably one of the most talented bands in the entire genre, Flatland Cavalry has proven time and again that they’re one of the most exciting groups flying out of the Texas scene today, led by frontman Cleto Cordero. After scoring major career milestones in 2024, which include receiving their first certified gold record for “A Life Where We Work Out” featuring Kaitlin Butts and their first-ever ACM nomination for Group of the Year, the West Texas powerhouses celebrated their 10-year anniversary together as a band at the end of the year with the release of Flatland Forever, an eventual 40-track collection of their biggest hits, worktapes, commentaries and unreleased tracks such as “Three Car Garage” and “Lubbock.”
Though 2025 was a bit of a quiet year for Flatland release-wise, only dropping the Billy Bob Thornton co-written track for Landman, “Midland After Midnight,” along with their only original track of the year, “Gone,” it looks like 2026 is going to be quite the year for the band, both from a touring and release standpoint.
In addition to their headlining tour throughout the spring, Flatland will be opening up for two of the biggest stars in the genre as of late, securing opening spots on both reigning CMA Entertainer of the Year, Lainey Wilson’s, international Whirlwind tour and Billboard’s #1 artist of 2025, Morgan Wallen’s, Still The Problem stadium tour.
From a music perspective, they’ve already been hinting at the prospect of a new album, the first since 2023’s Wandering Star, for quite some time now. Recently, they gave fans another taste of what’s to come from their new project with the release of their most recent single, “Never Comin’ Back,” on January 16th.
After giving fans a stripped-back version during their appearance on Red Rocks’ “Trail Mix Session,” Flatland is giving fans another stellar live performance of the new track, this time with none other than the speaker brand, Turtle Box, in their new “Box Session” episode.
In case you’re not familiar with Turtle Box, outside of producing stellar, heavy-duty outdoor speakers, they’ve teamed up with a plethora of stellar country acts for their “Box Sessions” over the years. Some of the names include the likes of Tanner Usrey, Hudson Westbrook, Ryan Bingham, Brent Cobb, The Panhandlers and most notably, Shane Smith and the Saints, who also released “Live Free (See Me Running)” in partnership with the brand.
As for Flatland and “Never Comin’ Back,” it’s yet another killer performance of the new track, which is bound to be a classic for them. Similarly, to the aforementioned “Trail Mix Session” at Red Rocks, the song benefits greatly from an acoustic rendition. Unlike the Red Rocks performance, however, they slow down the tempo even more here with Turtle Box. Though I said earlier in the week that the latter was the best version of the track I’ve heard so far, I think Cordero and Co. one-upped themselves here.
Adam Gallegos’ picking on banjo and, more notably, the heavy inclusion of Wesley Hall’s always exceptional fiddle gives “Never Comin’ Back” the perfect amount of melancholy when Cordero delivers the heartbreaking lyrics:
“I guess this is where the plans we made turn into the past
It ain’t so much the fact that you’re leaving
It’s the waitin’ on you
Knowing that you’re never comin’ back”
As always, it’s another stellar performance from the West Texas troubadours. If you’re a Flatland fan, it’s simply a must-watch.
Watch here:
Flatland Cavalry Tour Dates
2/6 – Auckland, NZ – Spark Arena *
2/8 – Christchurch, NZ – Wolfbrook Arena *
2/11 – Brisbane, QLD – Brisbane Entertainment Centre *
2/12 – Brisbane, QLD – Brisbane Entertainment Centre *
2/14 – Newcastle, NSW – Howlin’ Country *
2/16 – Sydney, NSW – Qudos Bank Arena *
2/19 – Melbourne, VIC – Rod Laver Arena *
2/20 – Melbourne, VIC – Rod Laver Arena *
2/22 – Adelaide, SA – Adelaide Entertainment Centre *
2/26 – Perth, WA – RAC Arena *
3/19 – Mobile, AL – Saenger Theatre
3/20 – Baton Rouge, LA – Texas Club
3/21 – Corpus Christi, TX – Concrete Street Amphitheatre
3/28 – Bryan, TX – Troubadour Festival
4/9 – St. Augustine, FL – St. Augustine Amphitheatre
4/10 – Fort Lauderdale, FL – Tortuga Music Festival
4/11 – Clearwater, FL – The BayCare Sound
4/16 – Silver Spring, MD – The Fillmore Silver Spring
4/17 – Richmond, VA – Allianz Amphitheater
4/18 – Knoxville, TN – Knoxville Civic Auditorium
4/23 – Birmingham, AL – Avondale Brewing Company
4/24 – Columbia, SC – Township Auditorium
4/25 – Lexington, KY – Gatton Park
4/30 – Canyon, TX – The Lumberyard
5/9 – Indianapolis, IN – Lucas Oil Stadium #
* supporting Lainey Wilson
# supporting Morgan Wallen
