Interview with Greg Hoy

Greg Hoy “Yay For Effort” (indie rock)

When you think of Greg Hoy, you can’t help but be reminded of that memorable music era of the late 70s and early 80s when quirky and fiercely original artists expanded the limits of pop radio. Legends like Elvis Costello, Joe Jackson, Warren Zevon and Nick Lowe. Or bands like The Replacements, The Cars, The Boomtown Rats, Talking Heads, Squeeze, and many others. This Bay Area-based creative has a hand in all aspects of his music as a singer-songwriter, multi- instrumentalist, producer, recording engineer, and record label owner. “I’m also something of a marketing guru,” says Hoy, “as well as a jingle and sound composer and producer, “people engineer” in the tech world, and an art director. But when you boil it all down, I’m really just a guy in a band.” Greg has worked with Glenn Branca, J. Robbins, Steve Albini, and hip-hop icon Ice-T, among many other luminaries. His songs have been featured on network television shows such as One Tree Hill and MTV’s Made. Other highlights in Hoy’s career include performances at Noise Pop, SXSW, CMJ, and on the main stage at Latitude Festival in the UK.

Yay For Effort is clean, clear, and easy on the ears, but with a hard-edge at all the right moments. “Hope is just another word,” sings Hoy, then continues with, “regardless of what you heard,” establishing a theme of optimism in a world torn asunder. If Hoy’s words appeared on a Hallmark greeting card, you would be hard-pressed to decide whether they belong in the “Thinking Of You” uplifting-note-to-a-friend section, or closer to the cards helping a loved one deal with grief. And on Extra Effort, his new remix EP, he’s leaned on legendary producer J Robbins to provide a mix that brings the title track to new levels of grandeur.

The “Yay For Effort” music video grabs you from its first frame of VHS-glitch-chic. It evokes a post-Covid landscape where girls and guys just want to have fun despite the impending doom and gloom surrounding them. Hoy, playing guitar while wearing a bright yellow hazmat suit and gas mask, stirs the unconscious mind, making the viewer think of a lost Devo video from the ’80s, or perhaps Paddington Bear after having survived a nuclear Apocalypse. It is cutting-edge without pandering. Its bare-bones production will linger with you long after the latest major label, AI- assisted flavor-of-the-month pop fix.  “Yay For Effort” gets an A, not only for effort, but for waking us up from our mainstream stupor and reminding us that indie rock is still alive and kicking.

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What made you want to become a musician? Music was always playing in my house growing up. All three of my (much older) siblings played in the marching band. My mom belonged to Columbia House Record and Tape club. Every month, USPS would deliver packages with a wide variety of vinyl LPs. Herb Alpert with Lou Rawls, Huey Lewis and the News in a box with Led Zeppelin, Barbara Streisand, and Kool & The Gang. There was an old clarinet that both my brother and sister had used. Lessons started in 3rd grade. By sixth grade, I noticed girls paid attention to dudes with guitars so I picked up my sister’s Alvarez acoustic, and everything changed.

What is your proudest moment as an artist so far? My 2000s were spent hustling in New York City – you know, a musician, DJ, bartender, man-with-a-van, graphic designer. There was a tribe of us. We all had several jobs to pay rent. My first ‘well-paying’ job hit as a graphic designer at an ad agency. Older kids, do you remember AOL CD-Roms you’d get in the mail? I helped design those! Steady paychecks started. My obsession became buying analog keyboards on eBay: Casios, Moogs, Yamahas. I’d get them shipped to work so they wouldn’t get stolen on the steps of my Brooklyn brownstone.

One day, an 80s-era Casio keyboard arrived to work. I ‘borrowed’ some batteries from work, and my friend Chris and me took the L subway to the Bedford Avenue stop near my rehearsal space. We set up at the corner of Bedford and 7th – half the shipping box became a keyboard stand, I hit the little drum machine button, and my friend Chris put the rest of the box on his head and danced around.

Just as Chris stopped dancing to take a call on his ‘new’ Nokia cellphone, I felt a hand on my shoulder. The hand was attached to mister David Byrne. ‘Love the act, hate the cellphone!’ he said. And then he gave me a dollar.  

Could you tell us a bit about your songwriting process? A deadline always helps me! Sometimes it’s a recording studio booking, or a tour. During the pandemic, I spent a few months writing a song or two a day. I’d watched the Dolly Parton documentary, and it was a practice for her. There is no magic formula, or lightning in a bottle. Sometimes it’s an acoustic guitar, a pencil, and a pad. Other times it’s a drum loop, or a song title. The main thing is sitting down and doing the work.

Did you face any creative blocks when writing “Yay For Effort”? How do you usually overcome them? ‘Yay For Effort’s 10 songs were the result of several demo and recording sessions at home over almost three years. Since it’s all me, and mostly acoustic guitar and piano based, it had its own flavor. Fun fact: I made and released 3 other ‘heavier rock and roll’ records during that time! Haha. Once the time was right for me to step into ‘singer/songwriter’ mode, it became a process of editing and polishing before sending it off to the vinyl pressing plant.

What is your favorite line from “Yay For Effort”? The first line helped get the whole thing rolling. ‘Hope, hope is just another word’. The demo sat for a while with just the chorus being done. Sometimes, verses are the hardest. Finding a comfortable pace and melody is a puzzle. And the song was built around its bass line which (I think) is a first for me after writing over 500 songs in this lifetime.

How was working with Carissa Johnson on the music video for “Yay For Effort”? Carissa is just the best! An amazing singer and songwriter in her own right, and also just an incredible visual artist. We’ve worked together on maybe 6 or so of my videos over the years? She totally saved the ‘Yay For Effort’ video. I hit a massive creative block with it. I’m grateful she always picks up my call!

Which cities/venues are your favorite to perform at? Oh that’s a great question. Part of me wants to tell you my least favorites! But there’s so many amazing spots still giving live music its due. Lititz Shirt Factory in central Pennsylvania is an amazing room. We always love playing Bottom of the Hill in San Francisco. There’s magic at Lost Chord in Solvang (it helps that it’s also a wine-centric venue!) Nate and company at Westside Bowl in Youngstown are champions. Eddie at The Redwood has renewed my faith in Los Angeles venues. I always love CJ and Winters Tavern on my corner in Pacifica for being so gracious with me.

What can we expect next from you? For the first time since pre-pandemic, I’m taking a long break. We have two tours planned for May – one on the east coast, and one in California. I just bought a tiny home in East Nashville so I’ll be soaking in some Tennessee over the next few months.