Today we’d like to introduce you to Taylor Hower
Hi Taylor, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
I started my journey when I moved to Salt Lake City and found that there were no open mics downtown at any of the bars. I came from Portland, OR where there were dozens of open mics available every day of the week. I decided that I would start my own. I approached a bar called Good Grammar and asked if I could throw a monthly event there called the Salt Lake Showcase, where local music artists of all genres and experience could sign up to perform. From there, I partnered with Hiveminded Studios, where I record all my music, to provide the best performer of each showcase with 3 hours of free studio time. We had many months of poor turn out but eventually grew the event into an awesome celebration of music and community that now fills the bar every month. Having a team by my side to help throw this event every month has made it all the more sweet.
Through creating this event and meeting other music artists in the area, we formed a group called Flowstate Music Group, an artist collective comprised of 5 musically talented artists – Suroh, Silly, Cody Himself, Slim Reaper and myself. Each artist brings a different strength and style to the table, and by combining our resources we’ve been able to do some really cool things that we would not have been able to do alone. We truly aim to exemplify the phrase “a rising tide lifts all boats”.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Flowstate Music Group actually came to be as a result of a falling out with a previous group. In that group. I over extended my trust and ultimately got burned for thousands of dollars. Being careful of who you go into business with was a lesson that I learned the hard way, unfortunately. A lot of people who have had similar experiences never go back to doing what they love as a result of getting taken advantage of, so I am proud of myself for starting over from scratch, rebuilding, and picking up where I left off. At the end of the day, music and everything that comes with it is something that I do for the love of the craft and community, and I don’t think I’ll ever put it down.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I have been a hip-hop artist for a decade plus and have released 6 studio albums and a number of different features and collaborations too. It is always recommended that artists find their niche style and stick with it, so that fans can always rely on a specific feeling/vibe from their artist. For better or worse, I’ve always strayed away from that mindset and modeled my music after the range of emotions that we feel as humans. The human experience is never one dimensional and I prefer to make music that reflects the highs and lows, the joys and frustrations, and everything in between. This makes for a diverse sound in my music but probably limits its marketing potential. The project that I am most proud of was my album Workin On A Come Up for which I made the biggest music video of my life, hiring the Emperor of Music Video’s, Jeff Panzer, and Alan Lucchetti to direct and produce it. The video involved me and a live band riding atop a flatbed trailer, cruising through the streets of Salt Lake City, playing my song “Workin On A Come Up”. It was one of the coolest things that I have ever done in my music career!
Can you share something surprising about yourself?
When I was in my early twenties there were several battle rap leagues sprouting in the Pacific Northwest. Between AHAT Washington (now named Skytier Northwest), and For MC’s By MC’s in Olympia, I probably battled a half a dozen times. These days I consider myself less of a rapper and more of a songwriter, but I will say that battling definitely helped sharpen my pen and made me a better writer..
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.flowstatemusicgroup.com
- Instagram: @flowstatemusicgroup
- Youtube: @t-jamesmusic
- Other: https://open.spotify.com/artist/3FsiSwt0DfFIQVSfMh6hhK?si=iuYO7KTcRA2yKvaCOaJ-Aw
