Greg Keys has been a performer in the Charleston area for over 4 years. As former lead singer of the band City on Down, he decided to branch out on his own and make a name for himself when the old group decided to part ways.
In the past year, he performed over 150 shows all across the southeast, perfecting his craft, but more importantly building his crew. Greg Keys & Company is comprised of himself, saxophonist Jamal Hall, bass player and singer-songwriter Grayson Lentz, rock drummer Steve Enck, and jazz-influenced guitarist Casey Schenkle. The band came together quickly and began selling out shows all over King Street almost immediately.
“Prom Night of ‘82,” is the most recent single by Greg Keys & Company and we can’t help but to lushly fall into the fusion amalgamating through the edginess of rock n roll with the buoyancy of electro-pop. Taking an approach that has an optimistic aura to the essence of this composition, the brightly illuminating outcome in the overall mix and energy emitted, allows the various components of the instrumentation to keep you on your toes with the array of dimensions exposed.
Between glimmering synths, impactful percussion, and opulent guitar riffs sitting somewhere in the smoldering realm, Greg Keys’ powerful timbres cascade with the brilliance exposed through the intricately crafted songwriting. Illustrating a soundscape that produces vivid imagery for us to transport ourselves through, the escape that is “Prom Night of ‘82,” has us dwindling in ponds of surfaced reminiscence. As a band, Greg Keys & Company has a certain way of working in unison as they each have their own moments to shine as individuals between the colossal unity disbursed through the collective of musicians.
“Prom Night of ‘82,” has us basking in an effervescent framework that acts as a vessel to all of the heartfelt memories we cherish. With lyrical motifs such as, ‘First touch, shoelace undone, falling in love with you,’ we dare you to try and not get nostalgic through Greg Keys & Company’s wistful hues.
Welcome to BuzzMusic, Greg Keys & Company! With a heartfelt song that touches so heavily on preserved memories, what inspired you to bring “Prom Night of ‘82” to the ears of the public?
Honestly, we had no intention of even releasing this song! It was something we created in our studio as a fun tribute to the '80s. We watched 80's movies and culture and tried challenging ourselves to create a love song set in that era. By the time we finished it, we were so excited with how it came out, it only seemed right to release it on Mother's Day, with most of our members' parents being in High School around that time. It was a tribute to our parent's generation and the story seemed to fit perfectly with the vibe we were going for,.
Could you please share a glimpse into what the creative process looked like when structuring the vision for this single? How did each member work together to bring this vision to life?
We all studied up on 80's culture a lot for this. We went back and watched E.T., Back to The Future, Watched Hall and Oats VIdeos, and Bowie interviews. The creative process was so much fun cause it was like, here's an era, learn everything about it and see if you could convince someone that your new song came out of that time. I wasn't even alive in the '80s, but I feel like I know more about that decade than the decade I grew up in.
In terms of emotions struck and the meaning behind it, what are you hoping that your audience takes away from this song?
I hope the audience gets a fun experience, a dash of nostalgia, and an intriguing story that allows new pieces of information to be discovered with each play. It is meant to be a lighthearted tune. So many songs attempt to break down the listener with this heartbreaking story or go into these rabbit holes of intellectual conflicts. But not all music should be that. Sometimes you gotta write a song that allows you to tap your feet, reminisce, and smile for a few minutes. That was our goal.
With such an intriguing journey for Greg Keys & Company, what happens to be the highlight of your career thus far?
Our highlight thus far is actually still to come. June 30th at the Windjammer on the Beach Stage. It's our first official Original Show as a group, and we can't wait to put on this amazing show for all of our fans. We have been rehearsing non-stop and composing wonderful live versions of these tunes, it should be a great time!
What's next for you?
We have plenty of new songs being released over the Summer, with our next one titled "Bonfire". We have about 4 songs ready to be released, with a potential full LP ready to go by this Fall!
