Greg Hoy’s “Last Quarter” Is the Loud, Unfiltered Reality Check Rock Needed

Greg Hoy’s “Last Quarter” isn’t trying to be cool; it just is. The track drops you straight into a dive bar where the amps are cracked, the crowd’s sweating, and no one’s pretending. It’s raw, alive, and completely unapologetic. Hoy doesn’t chase trends or algorithms; he builds his own world fueled by riffs, horns, and pure human imperfection.

It kicks off with gritty guitar and a steady pulse before the horns crash in and send it flying somewhere unexpected. The brass doesn’t just sit in the background; it hijacks the song and turns it into something larger than indie rock. It feels like a street parade and a protest all at once, existential and fun, bold and vulnerable, questioning the passing of time while celebrating what it means to exist right now.

Hoy’s performance is all muscle and soul. Every note feels earned through years of trial and error instead of studio trickery. He wrote, produced, recorded, and played nearly everything himself, even capturing the guitar and vocal takes live together. That decision gives “Last Quarter” a heartbeat that most modern songs just can’t fake.

Then there’s the video: three unicorns tossing stacks of cash in a limo, boarding a retro Pan-Am jet, and partying like they run the world. It’s ridiculous in the best way, but there’s a truth hiding in the chaos. We all get limited time, limited “quarters,” and Hoy’s message is simple: spend them recklessly, joyfully, and creatively before they’re gone.

“Last Quarter” isn’t nostalgic; it’s necessary. It’s proof that music can still make you feel something real, and maybe even make you believe in unicorns again.

What sparked the idea behind "Last Quarter" and its reflection on time?

There's a great little coffee shop in the beach town where we lived while I was making the' Hit Music' record - Pacifica, CA - called Craftsman Coffee. Some mornings, my daughter and I would head over there because daddy needed a caffeine fix, and she wanted to play their classic stand-up arcade game Ms Pac Man. (The kind folks there even had a stool for littles to stand on to play it.)

Being a parent to a young child means, among many other things, anticipating needs such as hunger, thirst, sleepiness, and temperature, and packing snacks and clothing accordingly. Due to this particular plan, it also meant finding quarters in my pants and car so she could play Ms Pac-Man, and often, more than one.

How did the horn section come together, and what did it add to the song's energy?

I'd had a dabble with horns in the live band back in 2023 for a show at the legendary Riptide near the beach in San Francisco. I'd hooked up with legendary sax player Tom Griesser through mutual friends. We spent a phone call with me talking through the then-current live set, singing 'Do-Dah-Doot-Dos' for him to turn into magical horn charts.

Fast forward to making the new LP, and it stuck with me to try writing with horn parts in mind. The power of the internet got me to trumpeter Kelly O'Donohue. She worked with me writing horn parts for a few of the songs on the album. 'Last Quarter' just has this feel… if you're old enough to have seen the movie 'Space Balls', it kinda feels like the part with the alien dancing on the bar with a top hat, doing a kick dance. And having horns in there for the verses as a call and response felt like the right sonic move.

You're known for doing everything yourself. What does total independence mean to you now?

There's never been a better time to pick up an instrument, or software program, or any skill really, and just get yourself on the ol' internet to learn something. My nephew calls this being 'YouTube Certified.' Growing up, we were middle-class in Western Pennsylvania.

My dad was a school administrator. Yet, I hated school - at least, the book-learning, stack-ranking, grade-making parts. Art and music were the worlds to be built. You could pick up an instrument, listen to the radio, and play along! It's not rocket science or heart surgery. It's rock n roll, and it's yours if you want it.

The "Last Quarter" video balances humor and symbolism. What's the story behind it?

Some dear pals in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and I decided to go see the almighty Kesha live at the Star Lake Amphitheater in Burgettstown, PA, on her latest tour. She is fantastic, and that new record is amazing. So I thought to myself, 'What a great excuse to rent a limo, and film a music video!'

Since the song is about the things we value, why we think they are valuable, and the myth of chasing the almighty dollar, throwing a bunch of $100 bills around as unicorns sort of felt like the right vibe for the video. I've never lost those early middle-class roots, even as my life and career have led to success in all its forms. It's just good to remember to have a little fun with the spectacle of it all.

What's your take on where real rock-and-roll fits in today's music landscape?

Wow, that's a tough question. We just finished part 3 of the year's 'Hit Music' tour, performing 10 or so dates from Pittsburgh to Nashville. We met a bunch of fantastic small business owners, fellow musicians, and music fans. There is a real craving for authenticity in all its forms. Respect to the journeymen (and women) playing Broadway in Nashville and all, but shoot me in the face if there's ever an iPhone or iPad on my mic stand if I'm performing my own music!

Now, for the record, paper on the floor is always fine. It's analog, and it's unobtrusive in connecting me directly to the audience. And that's what we need more of: direct connection, eliminating layers of technology or AI to get to looking each other in the eye. We've always said we are 'Plug-in-and-play rock and roll,' and that's going to be even more important as we evolve into a transhumanistic society.