Spotlight: The Artists of Digital Circus 2017

ROCK ISLAND, IL: Many people gloss over the fact that Rock Island has one of the liveliest night scenes in the Quad Cities. With venues like RIBCO giving Friday nights a new meaning to live entertainment, there is never a famine of things to in the QC. Just this weekend I left the cozy Augie Bubble (trademarked) to explore a world of digital music and meet with some truly inspiring artists.

Artists there were honest and down to earth and more than willing to talk to us let us interview them before they started their sets. The rapper and QC local Lyrical Legend said in relation to Digital Circus, “it’s being done right and it shows the professionalism of Digital Circus”. This was Legend’s first show with the festival and recommends to artists getting into rapping “network and stay humble. Don’t be or get cocky. Just let your work speak for itself”.

I was fortunate enough to catch Josh Graves of Graveyard Studios himself. Like many young, independent artists, Josh started producing music in his parents’ spare bedroom. He set his sights high and as his company grew he said his goals shifted to “being as professional as Graveyard Studios could be for the independent hip-hop artists”. He took us through a little mental tour of Graveyard Studios and told us that his favorite thing about the studio is being able to see progress in musicians over time. From learning flow, to learning productions and eventually putting out an entire album, Graves thinks that the whole process is rewarding. “I like to keep it like family, not just music and business. These guys are like family to me”. Grave wants to say than you to Digital Circus for giving him the opportunity for him and Graveyard Studios to perform.

Andrew Quandt is the Top 200 Assistant Music Director at WAUG.FM.

Photos taken by Brian Guerrero, Webmaster

Edited by Andre Rivera, General Manager