Musician to Musician: Flo Petite | arts & entertainment

It really was. I started at the end of May. I went on a two-week tour by myself, so I drove all the way through the Midwest and Nebraska and all the weird cities. I just loaded up my car and went. It was very much like van life.

Wait, it was by yourself completely?

Yeah, it was 100% me. I did all the driving. I was having my “Eat, Pray, Love” moment.

No, but I found Nebraska. It’s very industrial out there. It was kind of cool. So, I did that and came home and I did a lot of local shows. I’d say probably every weekend, I’m doing shows in DC through Sofar Sounds. I work with them a lot. I also went to Atlanta and totaled my car on the way home. A piece of an 18-wheeler came through the window and almost massacred me and my friends. It was really scary. That was kind of the end of touring because I didn’t have a car anymore.

So, you probably still don’t have a car?

I have a car that just kind of gets me to work and back to my house.

That’s going to be a problem if you’re playing out.

It’s fine to get around locally, and usually, I have other people help me out. But, yeah, I did a lot. I did so much that I’m probably forgetting some of the things that I did. It was really fun. It was a jam-packed summer. I went to North Carolina, too, and Atlanta again to redeem the city. I’ve been working with this collective thing in College Park called ONLe Vibez. They do some pretty cool stuff, so I’ll do shows over there. I did one a couple weeks ago and it sold out, so that was pretty cool.

That is cool, and it leads me to something I wanted to get to. For as long as I’ve known you, what would always seem to happen was you’d play here or there and then you’d be into it and then you wouldn’t be that into it. But it kind of feels like you turned a corner, like, “I’m doing this now.”

Oh yeah, 100%. I just realized I had to do it 100%, especially after being in the house for two years because of COVID, just dreaming about what I could do if I wasn’t in the house. I think that fear motivated me a lot because I wanted to do it so badly then. I feel like I missed out on some opportunities as a younger 20-year-old, so I’m redeeming my old 20-year-old self.

Has that commitment been liberating? Scary?

It’s just been fun and busy, and I’m really tired.

I like this kind of tired because this kind of tired feels successful or like I’m motivated.

The other thing attached to that is new songs, new stuff. Have you been in a studio?

I was. I record a lot of stuff at home, and then I was in the studio refining some of that home stuff last week. I work with this guy Thraxxx. It’s been cool because he has a different ear than I do, so it’s helped a lot. We’ve only worked together once in the studio, but I’ve known him for a minute. I’m going to release a cover song, just for fun, in November.

It’s “All Apologies” by Nirvana. It’s a toned-down, acoustic cover. It’s cute.

How’s school going? Are you working in addition to going to school and pursuing this music thing?

Yeah, I do it all [laughs]. I’m in school. I graduated in the spring. My degree is going to be in English.

I know some people do college and wait until they’re done with college before they’re like, “OK, now I’m really going to go after music.” Is that in your plan, or are you going to pursue something with your degree?

No, I’m definitely going to wait. I want to work on more music stuff. I was supposed to graduate in December, so I was like, “I’ll finally be able to full-throttle this,” but that’s not happening now, which is fine. I’ve come to terms with it. But I’m excited for the scholastic freedom I’ll eventually have.

Having the summer go the way it went, are you optimistic that after you graduate, you’ll be able to do it year-round?

Yeah, that’s definitely the plan.

What do you write about now?

That’s a great question. I’ve always been a journaler. I like to reflect on my day-to-day and what goes on. I think I still do that with my music, too. I’m kind of like, “I had this god-awful day; let’s write a song.”

Speaking of that, do you have plans to do more than the cover — like an EP or something?

I’m working on an album. I have one written and semi-recorded. I just have to finish organizing it. It’s more just finding the time to pull it all together. I have a consistent band now. They’re pretty cool. It’s me and three of my friends that I met at college. I play rhythm guitar, there’s lead guitar and a bassist and drummer. You know, the classics.

Have there been things you’ve wanted to write about? Socially or from the outside looking in, are there things you’re very passionate about?

I think having to write for school and reading a lot of fiction stories, I’d like to make up more songs that aren’t based on my actual life. But I’ve found that I’ve been doing that for so long, it’s hard to stray away from. Still, that’s a writing goal of mine right now.

I’ve always found that to be fascinating. Concept albums and people making up characters.

Yeah! I think that’s really cool. I want to make up some characters.

I look at it, and I’m so taken back by it. I wonder how people do that.

They must have really crazy dreams. I have really crazy dreams, too. I’ve written some songs off of that, but not in a while.

How’s the rest of the year look?

I have a show in Hagerstown the day before Thanksgiving and then I’m doing another ONLe Vibez event on Nov. 10.

Wait. To end this, I want to hear what the ONLe Vibez stuff is like. Can other local musicians be part of it?

ONLe Vibez feels like a DIY venue when you go, but it’s kind of a lot of things. They’re a brand, so they have clothing that they make. They do productions where artists sign up and you pay something like 20 bucks and you record a song of your choice and an interview. Then, they just do regular shows. It’s cool because the owner kind of calls it the cheat code for the DMV. A lot of artists and creative people go there. It’s a really good way to just meet everybody. I’ve put so many people through that.

Colin McGuire has been in and out of bands for more than 20 years and also helps produce concerts in and around Frederick. His work has appeared in Alternative Press magazine, PopMatters and 72 Hours, among other outlets. He is convinced that the difference between being in a band and being in a romantic relationship is less than minimal. Contact him at mcguire.colin@gmail.com.