Joe began playing guitar at the age of 12. He made his way onto the local music scene at age 15 when he joined the band Sans Ego. They won the Lima Crossroads Battle of the Bands in 2010 and released an EP titled Happy Endings Over Major Chords in 2011. While playing with Sans Ego, Joe shared the stage with National Acts such as Bayside, Forget Me in Vegas, Secondhand Serenade, Rookie of the Year, and Nemes.