Meet Derek Flores

We had the good fortune of connecting with Derek Flores and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Derek, what do you attribute your success to?
Authenticity. I’ve never been a “Hey, how’s everyone doing?” or “Y’all look beautiful out there tonight” kind of performer. I get on stage, give people a “Whaddup dudes” and am the most authentic me I can be. I think people enjoy that I’m never going out of my way to be something I’m not. I’m an idiot. When you see me perform, that’s what you’re seeing – an idiot.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I’m a singer/Songwriter. I think what sets me apart is I don’t write about anything that didn’t happen. I know some people who will write songs that have certain themes for the sake of having the theme and I’m not big on that. If it didn’t happen to me, it’s not getting written. I got to where I am by perseverance more than talent (trust me). Nobody in my home area wanted to take a chance on me because they didnt know who I was. They reserved the music slots for the musicians who already had a reputation. But I knew I wanted to do music, so I reached out to cities and middle of nowhere towns hours away. It eventually snowballed into out of state shows and basically living on the road. It wasn’t easy, but it felt easy. When you truly love what you do, the work becomes fun. The most important lesson is really “Love what you do and you never work a day in your life.”

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
When it comes to Houston, The Rustic all the way! Cactus Jacks for sure! I love that place. When I’m on the road, I don’t get to sight see too much in Houston, but if I’m home, the places to go would be Trevino’s Blue Bar, Howlin Rabbits Beer Works (ask for Nathan. You’re the best, bro!), Ranch House Burgers, Moran’s Pizzeria, and Big Boys Toys. I’m a huge retro game fan and vintage physical media collector. That’s the place to go! My first love is Comic Books so Myth Adventures!

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I can think of many. The Trevino’s Blue Bar staff in Mercedes, TX. They’ve always treated me well and their patrons and staff always give me encouragement. It’s made this whole thing a lot more fulfilling. Walking in there is like a personal fill up station for morale. Jonathan Hernandez from H&H Booking. One of th most hard working, most understanding guys out there. He’s also a wildly talented musician. Michael Casillas from Graybeard Entertainment. Just an amazing guy. I can’t think of enough good things to say about him. And, probably most importantly, Alex Cantu From McAllen, TX. He made me want to do this. Seeing him work as hard as he does inspired me and got me started on this whole thing. Of course, my best bro Jimmy Jack Lawrence. He has an amazing album out. When he jumped on the scene, he relit a spark in me that was fading fast. Thanks, guys!

Instagram: www.instagram.com/_DerekFlores