Today we’d like to introduce you to Joe Guzman.
Hi Joe, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I started writing poetry as a child and songs when I was 15 years old. In a household where there was no support for music I had to improvise and often ended up singing verses over rhythms made on a paint bucket. It was that summer that I started working and bought myself my first guitar. Without money for formal instruction I learned what I could from books and friends willing to teach me. I started my first band, “You” at the age of 18 and played my first show at The Ridgelea Theater in Fort Worth.
Through the years my love of music would endure in and out of different projects. From short lived music affairs with Red Sun Revolutions and Architect Zero to my long standing projects Flow State and Space Poets I’ve always attempted to use metaphor, poetry and atmosphere as the key elements of my musical vehicles.
Flow State started in a laundry room in 2017. It was an attempt at recycling certain ideas that had been floating in my head for the prior decade. The project quickly moved into a rehearsal shed in the Bishop Arts District of Oak Cliff. It was here in a full band setting where the project really found its atmospheric and progressive sound. The project went through multiple members but eventually recorded its first EP in 2021 titled, “Darkness & Light”.
Flow State debuted its new sound at the Ridgelea Room in 2021 and went on to play many DFW venues in 2022 including Armoury, Amplified Live, Tulip’s, Rubber Gloves and many others. During that period I started to organize the Psychedelic Panther Music Festival in which Flow State headlined.
After a short break Flow State is planning a return with a new album in 2027.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
No journey in music or entertainment is without considerable challenges. When the challenges aren’t in booking or paving your way as an artist then they become financial. It’s hard to get a group of people together for free who are all working to survive and whose time is already limited. There has to be a strong enough vision shared among all to hold the project together.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I’m a published musician with one album, one EP and a single released May of last year. My full length album was written with my second project, Space Poets. It’s called, “Vol. 1” and is available on all streaming platforms.
I’m also know as the founder and organizer of the Psychedelic Panther Music Festival which had its third run last fall. I’m currently using the proceeds of this festival towards my nonprofit organization, Biome Organics Inc. which prioritizes the mission of giving people with chronic illnesses the access to alternative healing modalities.
Is there anyone you’d like to thank or give credit to?
There’s a long list of people but I am happy to list key players. For each artistic endeavor.
Psychedelic Panther:
– James Benjamin Maker
– Alan Brown
– Johnny Govea
– Jessica Waffles
– Trista Morris
– Juan Cornejo
Flow State
– Collin Deffner
– Kenneth Eberly (ex member)
– Terrence Eason (ex member)
– Travis Bohanan
– Joseph Lacey
Space Poets
– Terrence Eason (ex member)
– Kenneth Eberly (ex member)
– Junko Maria Nowaza
– Chad Swiatowicz
– Lee Koester
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/flow_state_tx
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL1Eh_RxpzIY7Ihqc7WfFvE6HhfBgswJEy&si=B_rWstIN8lM8egyq
- Other: https://www.linktr.ee/flowstateband
Image Credits
Front Row Fort Worth
