HOTSTAR: Quinn XCII Grinding It Out On The Road To Headliner Status

Jonah George – Quinn XCII

Although popular music is an ever-changing and elusive concept, with trends morphing, genres blurring and the delivery of both recorded and live music always in flux – the tried and true touring artist development story remains.

Detroit native Quinn XCII (née Mikael Temrowski) is case in point, with word spreading about his self-released music while he was a sophomore at Michigan State University.

“The college experience for me was very organic and word of mouth,” the 26-year-old told Pollstar. In 2015 he self-released his first EP, Change of Scenery, which gained critical buzz and racked up millions of streams.

“It was just kids showing other kids what I was putting out there. That was the best indicator that the music was special, since I wasn’t being put out by a major platform.” 

After building momentum from his debut LP, 2017’s The Story Of Us, which peaked at No. 6 on the iTunes Pop chart and whose single “Straightjacket” has more than 2 million YouTube hits, Quinn hit festivals particularly hard this summer, with slots at Lollapalooza, Osheaga Festival, Forecastle Festival, Sloss Music & Arts Festival and Governors Ball among others. He was also a staple at colleges, with Paradigm Talent Agency’s Taylor Schultz, who oversees the agency’s college bookings, mentioning Quinn XCII as one of the top college artists on the agency’s roster this year.

With so many stages and fellow artists to share bills with, there was a bit of a surprising situation when both Quinn XCII and fellow Michiganite Bazzi were playing Lolla at the same time. 

“We have somewhat similar fanbases and were kind of joking around that it was two Michigan guys on at the same time. ‘Oh, we’re not going to have a turnout,’’’ Quinn said, laughing. “But realizing that Lollapalooza is so massive, we knew that wasn’t going to be the case. There were still at least 10,000 people just at my set, it was amazing. It was a crazy summer, for sure. It was a very cool first summer festival tour and I’m excited to do more of those.”

Quinn XCII, which stands for “Quit Unless your Instincts Are Never Neglected,” blends pop, hip-hop, reggae, rock, electronic and soul – a sound he crafted with producer, and friend since third grade, ayokay (née Alex O’Neill). “I owe everything to him and what we started together, how we cultivated this sound together. He really helped me find my voice and taste as an artist. By exchanging notes, he got better as a producer and likewise I got better as a singer as he made me feel more comfortable in the studio. It’s really cool to see someone you’ve known forever accomplish their dreams.”

 “That’s kind of what’s so great about all of this – there is no formula,” Quinn says of his steady rise. “It’s kind of a double-edged sword. Without having connections or a huge background or platform, you can flourish in ways you didn’t think you could. On the flipside, because there is no formula or answers, no ‘A-button’ to press and then everything happens, it can all end very, very soon. I try not to take anything for granted, and I’m blessed to be able to keep doing what I do.”

A big part of that is putting in the work, however, with management at Visionary Music Group,  with Jesse Coren who has been with Quinn since his first official release. Coren recently partnered with VMG on his four clients, Quinn XCII, Chelsea Cutler, Jeremy Zucker and ayokay.

“I’m eager to go back on the road again,” said Quinn, who wrapped a headline tour in spring at venues like The Fonda in Los Angeles, 9:30 Club in Washington, D.C., and two nights at Irving Plaza in New York City before the festival slots this summer. “That’s really a huge part in becoming a successful artist – getting on the ground floor and building a fan base in each market.” 

 “The idea with my team at VMG is that longevity is key here,” he said, noting fellow management clients like Logic and Jon Bellion as examples. “The idea is to work and be out on the road, show the fans you care and come out.”

Another artist with a similar background and genre-bending popularity is Twenty One Pilots, which Quinn looks to for inspiration.

 “I look at those guys as a great example, guys that are always grinding out this touring process and realizing that it’s hard work but it pays off in great dividends if you really work at it,” Quinn said. “Twenty One Pilots is an amazing story. They’re from Ohio, so it resonates for me that someone from a small town with no connections [is] now playing Moscow – it’s insane.

“It didn’t happen overnight for them either, but that’s almost better because you appreciate that moment when you hit, because you’ve gone through so much crap to get there. It makes it sweeter, for sure. That’s how I look at it.”

For the future, Quinn says he doesn’t want to get ahead of himself but has a few short-term goals.

“I guess playing the biggest rooms in any city I can, broadening my fanbase, taking things one step at a time,” he said. “None of this happens overnight, so it’s important to try not to get too eager, but just basically max out every city to its capacity is really the goal when it comes to touring.”

A Grammy would be nice, too. “I’d be lying if I said I didn’t want that, so we’ll see if that’s in the cards or not.”