Meet Greg Keys | Musician and Song-Writer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Greg Keys and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Greg, why did you decide to pursue a creative path?
Like most musicians it started just from the pure joy of it, $75 gigs felt like a steal just because I was getting paid to do what I love. I didn’t realize until 2 years in that it was actually a viable option for. a decent paying living. I just wanted to share music with the world and write songs about my life. The more I did the deeper I fell in love with it.

Now it has its off days, like any artist im not always drawing a happy picture, but it’s beautiful and genuine nonetheless. And to be able to deal with my ups and downs through these stories I’ve created, is everything I’ll ever need. Im just blessed to making a living off it as well.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
Our group creates pop-forward songs about life, love, heartbreak, great memories and more. We like catchy tunes, and enjoy trying to put intricate lyrics on top of them. Pop-,music has gone south in a lot of ways, and we’re just trying to show it can be about so much more than over-produced vocals about a car or a hot girl. We want it to have purpose again.

We’re definitely most proud of the live show we’ve built, we truly feel like its a must see and everyone gets a moment to showcase individual talents am0ng the group setting. It’s fun to watch and even more to perform. It wasn’t easy getting to this point, learning to book and run the business side took some time to allow us these moments to shine. 90%of the work is done before the show even begins the rest is just fun and practice coming into fruition. It has taught us to be more confrontational and stand up in difficult situations, it taught us how to be professional and to stand on business, and mostly how to fall back in love with what we do. Music is a marriage at times, but like anything you love in this world, you’ll fight and eventually find your way back to it again and again. It’s been a blessing in my life and im glad to have found friends, love, and purpose through it all.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
These gotta be my main recommendations:

Food –

Brunch:
Halls Gospel Brunch on Sunday’s need a huge reservation but is the best tasting brunch you’ll ever have

The Watch at The Restoration is an awesome brunch spot

Millers All Day is a vibe

Dinner

$$ Taco Boy, Dispensary, Blind Tiger for your affordable options

$$$ Indaco, Oku (sushi), Felix, Bistronomy for your mid level but great food

$$$$ Halls is the best steak, Frannie and The Fox, Melfis for best Italian, 167 Raw and/or Tempest for best seafood

Going out but classy or fun (wine spots and daytime spots):

Shem Creek is a great starter area like Reds and Saltwater Cowboys as they are right on the water in mt pleasant. The Wonderer is also an exclusive club with cabanas and a huge pool with big DJs.

Hit up Vintage Lounge, The Citrus Club (in Dewberry hotel), Ritual, Cocktail Club for your 7-9pm pregames spots

Now here’s where we turning up:

Dispensary for live music and rowdy bourbon bar vibes. They’ve been good to locals including me, and us locals have been good to them back. We love it here.

Republic is a good club and has its own bravo tv show so it stays busy, though not much room to move. Ritual is a fun club spot as well with a great staff.And has so much more room.

Cocktail Club when they have live music (typically us) is always a good time.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Tons of people were essential to my journey.

People like my father Mike Keys, who supported me when I took a college degree and a secure future in the business world and threw it aside to pursue a much more challenging and risky path. Artists like Manny Houston and Mel Washington that showed by example what it took to be a good artist, performer, and writer. I got to see local talent at its finest and try to emulate what they do. A shoutout to my fiancé Emma Knapp that allowed me as my muse to write the first of many happier songs, changing the narrative of music altogether. To the studios that have turned my ideas into full works of art with Elliot at Truphonic and Kenny at Archer Avenue Studios. They are two of the kindest and most talented guys I know. And most importantly to my band: Casey Schenkel, Grayson Lentz, Zyck The Freak, Davis Lentz, and Carlos Vidal, the guys that have been with me on this journey and made it so much more than ever could have alone. I owe them everything this has become.

Website: gregkeysmusic.com for all original content and then keysandcoevents.com to showcase our wedding/event band.

Instagram: @Keysandcoimusic

Youtube: Greg Keys