We recently spoke to Greg Hoy about his latest single, ‘The Wheel‘, and asked him about his inspirations and influences.
The lyrics touch on how people react in tough moments. What were you trying to say with it?
Thanks for noticing that. Resilience is a word that has been creeping into my soul since the 2020 lockdowns. There’s something around having a do-it-yourself spirit that I’m fortunate to have cultivated as an artist that’s also spilled over into every aspect of living. Couple that with self-awareness and the acceptance of things, and that’s distilled in my lyrics for ‘The Wheel’. It’s both self-referential and accusatory to the powers that be, so to speak. Lyrics that can be interpreted multiple ways always please me.
The track has a loose, organic feel. How did you build that sound?
Thanks for that! During the lockdowns when half of this one was recorded, I’d pushed some of my anxiety into consumerism – didn’t we all? I’d purchased my then-2-year-old daughter the Questlove Pearl Pocket drum kit. It was set up in my makeshift studio. Another thing that seemed abundant, besides the anxiety of 2020/21, was time. So I set about changing out the drum heads on the Questlove kit, and upgrading the cymbals a bit. One day I was futzing with playing a disco beat over a fake kick drum (yeah, that kick drum is a drum machine!) and that messing around started the whole song. It was my bizarre version of Nine Inch Nails’ ‘Only’. Then the acoustic guitar helped keep it sounding grounded even as the layers of electrics started to cascade.
Your interest in Buddhist teachings comes through here. How did that shape the message?
Again, this was a time period for me of deep contemplation, like many. Becoming a first time father and being ‘not allowed’ to do many of the things we generally take for granted (sonograms, having to be snuck in after ours to meet with the delivery doctor) can be met with a few reactions: things like fear, anger, disbelief, awe, revenge, hope. Having these all at once, recognizing them, letting them float away – it’s all key to my sanity in these interesting times.
You handled the video yourself. What was the idea behind it? The color choices really stand out. What do they mean to you?
Just a lot of jingoism happening with the ol’ red, white, and blue, coupled with this worldwide race for domination, and a full court to keep people thinking everything is black and white. It makes it a whole lot easier to sell ya stuff. It’s all just professional wrestling. You always got a ‘heel’ – a villain. The role of a heel is to be the antagonist to the heroic ‘face’ generating crowd disapproval (called ‘heat’), breaking rules, cheating, and behaving arrogantly. It’s pretty easy to see that most of the world’s leadership are becoming heels or faces. In fact, one well-known world leader actually worked in professional wrestling for decades! So which side are you on? With ‘The Wheel’ video, Greg Hoy & The Boys are simply saying ‘We rule, and so do you – don’t believe all those scripts and heels.’
There’s a mix of serious themes and fun moments. How do you strike that balance?
My parents raised me on a steady diet of late night comedy: primarily David Letterman, Robin Williams, Benny Hill. We GenXers also tend to lean hard on cynicism. I mean, Trent Reznor’s music publishing company is called ‘Leaving Hope’. One of the first LP records I ever bought was Weird Al Yankovic in 3D. Comedy shows us the way through, and teaches us not to take everything so seriously. And who doesn’t love to laugh?
How has “The Wheel” been feeling in a live setting?
We played it in Seattle and San Francisco so far and it went over great. You can’t go wrong with a disco beat. Plus live, we add the horns to it. We’ll see how it fairs on the east coast this week!
You’ve got music, touring, and a book in the works. How do you juggle it all?
AND I gave up caffeine! I’m an adamant list-maker. My 15 years helping out tech companies really whipped my time management skills into shape. Applying that to how you design your life works wonders!
What do you hope people take from this song and video, and anything else you’d like to share before we wrap up?
As one of my former bosses used to say ‘Fear less’. There’s a war for your mind. It’s real. It’s happening from the moment you awake and deep into the night. Doing it yourself brings joy, calm, and satisfaction. The answers truly are within – except math. I still use a calculator for that.
‘The Wheel’ is out now, and you can watch the video below. Find out more about Greg Hoy and his music online on his official website, Bandsintown, Instagram, and Twitter.
