Meet the band that plays on top of Red Parking Garage

Abdul Djabbour | Staff Writer

A love of nature and passion for music has made seven FIU students combine their talents to form a new band. 

Humboldt Paxton & The Cosmic Squares practice their performances, songs, and gather together as a band in the Red Parking Garage at the Modesto Maidique Campus, where FIU students may hear them practicing in the evenings.

Originally from Miami, the band is made up of vocalists Karyna Peña and Michael Perez, guitarist Juan Morales, keyboardist Oscar Alvarez, bassist Karim Suz, drummer Spencer Fernandez and guitarist and vocalist Maxwell Taks. 

Their genre is described as funky psychedelic, and their music and lyrics also celebrate the ecosystem of South Florida. One of their songs is about Pine Rockland which is South Florida’s thatch palms and subtropical hardwoods vegetation.

“We not only want to make music about things we love but we also want to spread activism through our lyrics and spread the good word,” said Taks

With their music, they plan to inspire other people to plant a plant, speak out about the environment and climate change, and promote environmental activism.

The band had their first show at Mount Crowley in Homestead where the band had the opportunity to perform some of their songs such as Pine Rocklands, Everglades Cowboys and Sea-fans and Sponges.

Being a singer can be challenging since singers sometimes experience panic and anxiety, but with practice, a support system of friends, and stepping outside of your comfort zone, you can get over stage fright and perform to the best of your abilities.

“I started as a music major, but I used to have stage fright, but now that I play with my friends it helps a lot and I don’t have stage fright anymore,” said Peña.

They practice at FIU because the view of the sunset while they play inspires them to write songs and show off their talents. They also feel that FIU is a great place to network and collaborate with other bands and artists.

“When I’m on campus I hear music and see other bands playing such as Shivvamusic and and as a musician, I find that interesting and when I go up to the garages, I find other bands playing as well,” said Taks.

They are striving every day to achieve their dreams to be discovered by a record label or a producer and little by little they have been starting to perform live shows. They work on new music every day to be a successful band that brings environmental activism to South Florida.

Humboldt Paxton & The Cosmic Squares are working on their first EP and plan to release it on digital platforms like SoundCloud, Spotify, and Apple Music. To keep up with Humbolt Paxton & The Cosmic Squares you can stay updated through their Instagram, @humboldtpaxton

“Follow your heart, follow what seems right, practice as much as you can and don’t stop, don’t be afraid to make mistakes, hard work pays off,” said Fernandez.