Greg Hoy has taken on many roles throughout his career. He has seen every moving part of the music scene from his early start in the tech industry to become a singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, recording producer, and label owner.
Knowing how to walk the walk, it's his vast knowledge that makes Greg Hoy & The Boys a well-oiled machine, cranking out tunes to the likes of Jack White, Queens of the Stone Age, and The Beatles. Dedicated to expanding their creative artistry in more ways than one, it is clear that Greg and his formidable bandmates connect with fans of all walks of life and from all demographics.
We always love when the modern sounds of music revisit old-time favorites. A prime example is what Greg Hoy & The Boys deliver to us in their lively rendition of ZZ Top's "Sure Got Cold After the Rain Fell." Empowering us with a simmering blend of musicality bolsters a hypnotic foundation of nostalgia, the melancholy that pours from this record brings back a refreshing essence of rock n roll.
Through the melodic progressions that amp up in intensity as "Sure Got Cold After the Rain Fell" advances in its harmonious nature, we hear the passion that sprinkles into this creation. Of course, it's always a challenge to cover such notable records, but Greg Hoy & The Boys manage to give us a new slice of the pie as we hear what they bring to the table. Each powerful percussion hit lingers with its sparsity and impact as moments like the sustaining guitar riffs get a chance to shine even brighter in the emotion-driven solo.
Weaving into the smooth essence of this rock ballad, the infectious grooves keep us in line as we eat up every word that Greg Hoy wistfully portrays. Motivated to project his emotion through the breakup of many things in his life, Greg Hoy & The Boys take a timeless piece and give it the attention it deserves in 2022.
We're thrilled that you took on ZZ Top's "Sure Got Cold After the Rain Fell" and made it into something of your own. How did it feel to tackle this song versus an original creation motivated by emotion?
We're thrilled, too! With the passing of ZZ Top bassist Dusty Hill late last summer, worshippers of that lil ol' band from Texas mourned together in the usual way — revisiting the band's incredible catalog. We noticed many clubs during our fall tour across the Central part of the United States were playing early ZZ Top albums before and between the live acts. This particular tune, from their album 'Rio Grande Mud', played in Kansas City, KS, just before our show there. Jungle Jim the drummer of that tour and me looked at each other and said 'Holy moly this song is a lost gem'. Though best known for their 80's synthesizer and MTV period, it is their first 4 records that really impress the most. Their early recorded work cannot be touched as far as taste, sonics, and simplicity. How long did this concept and record take to come to fruition? What was the creative process like? Almost every Halloween means recording a cover song. Now, covering ZZ Top is not to be taken lightly. I knew if we were going to try one, it had to be special. After the tour, and with the current feelings around the state of the world, covering 'Sure Got Cold...' became the obvious choice. The GH&TheB's recording's rhythm section on it is the same as the 'Cacophony' album recorded in the summer of 2020 out here in Oakland, CA. Jason Slota is an incredibly intuitive drummer, and Ian Miller is bass and all things bass. They were jazzed to tackle this song. After many meager attempts at playing the guitar part like Billy F. Gibbons, I finally gave up and learned the main riff on my 1922 Steinway in my living room. (You can see our setup in the video for the song). My dear friend Lara Hope added her vocals out in Kingston, NY at the very last minute. And I still get the goosebumps listening to it. Who makes up Greg Hoy & The Boys? How did you all come to meet, and what is it like working with one another so creatively? Oh, I think it's at probably around 30 or so folks that have been the 'Boys' at this point? The first version of the band in NYC back in 2006 was myself and three very competent musicians that happened to be women. Clearly, Jack White consistently steals my ideas. The trio changes — from tour to tour, and sometimes even from show to show — depending on everyone's availability, the type of music a particular venue may be best suited for, etc. And for the next tour, we're expanding to a 5 piece so I can try just singing. I've only done this for two shows ever, and I enjoyed it. I get to pretend to be Guided By Voices. It's lovely for me to be consistently surprised putting different personalities together to celebrate this great religion of rock n roll. How have you found your growth as an individual and a band since you began creating? There's magic to just making things. It can be dinner, or plans, or a song. Creating is my drug. It's addicting. Some weeks I'll write a song a night. A lot of them aren't very good, and that's ok. The simple act of conjuring something out of thin air is still a miracle to me. And the people with whom I perform are just the best. Some of them have been playing with me on and off for 20 years. What's next for you? There are about two dozen songs sitting on a hard drive in various states of completion. My dear friends Tom and Paul - who I met in Pittsburgh 'back in the 90s' - recorded with me at my cabin on Lake Superior last summer. I'm finishing 2 EPs from those sessions - one of the rock songs, the other more introspective. They're flying out in May and we'll tour California for a few weeks. Who am I kidding? We'll road trip Highway 101, hike, sightsee, and lay on some beaches. And then we'll get to spend 45 minutes at night playing rock n roll because what else is there to really enjoy in 2022 but nature and each other's company?