In this episode Durell is joined by indie artist and entrepreneur Greg Hoy. Durell and Greg begin talking about the current DIY space that makes up the majority of the creatives in the marketplace today. Durell talks about the fact that even though the internet has made it easier to be seen and heard, it has also made the quality of music not as good as it used to once be. Greg shared that there was a time where there was a filtering system of curators where you would know what labels cultivated certain sounds and there was much more quality control with the music that was released into the marketplace. Greg doesn’t think the label system is something that should come back but a new system that allows for the music consumer to discover new artists that compliment their taste. Durell shares that the DIY space today is more about building deep than in volume. Greg shares in today’s marketplace he knows who the artist is first whereas when he was growing up in the 80’s and 90’s he would listen to the radio and have to go into the record store and sing the song to someone to actually find out who the artist actually was by name. Greg shares that despite all the bells and whistles that we can use to get out to the people via technology and social media at the end of the day having a great song is paramount. Durell shares that hit records are marketed; no one knows they have a hit when they first release a song but the ability to heavily market and promote a song is the game changer. Durell shares that traditional radio was the medium that was used to mass market a song in the old industry, but today in the DIY space most artists can’t afford traditional radio.


Durell and Greg talk about him being first introduced to music at the age of 5 years old. He shares that his dad was very much into Led Zeppelin, Benny Goodman and a lot of big band music. Greg shares that the early music he was introduced to evoked so much emotion in him and he was extremely thankful for that. Greg talks about going to college and really getting into production and becoming inundated with learning the craft. He shares the importance of training your ears and figuring out the process. Greg talks about the way that technology has evolved and how that has made the learning curve much easier today then when he was young and trying to learn the craft.

Durell shares that he loves Greg’s quote “i love helping companies hire people because it’s just like putting a band together, and everyone has a role”. Durell shares that he loves how Greg is able to use both sides of his brain because oftentimes most artists struggle with it. Greg shares that he views it as “muscles that you need to build”. He said that it’s important to know what you’re good at but also know the areas that you struggle with and put a focus on getting better with that. Greg shares that when he first started on his journey in music he struggled with booking shows and also being able to communicate the things that he wanted from his band. Communication is a big key in achieving success. Greg shares that at the end of the day he’s the CEO so all of his success and failures fall on his shoulders.

Greg and Durell end the episode talking about the fact that he believes in quality over quantity when it comes to making records. Greg shares that when he was younger he spent a lot of time putting out records but not as much time as focused on the craft. Durell shares that we no longer have a label driven industry where the top executives are actually developing, and showcasing new talent in a small unique space of quality that will lead to success. Greg said there was a time that he just wanted to play live so he could test out new material. He talks about what changed for him as far as mindset was. Instead of trying to come up with new songs all of the time, he shifted the focus to taking songs that he had and get those into the hands of more people as well as monetize them.

Durell and Greg talk about his work that his work through his record label called 30 Peak. Greg shares about his other business where he helps companies hire people. He got his start in New York which then led him to California where he worked for Facebook, Lyft, and Pintrest helping to build their entire creative teams because they didn’t really understand the power of how to speak to creatives.

For More Info On Greg Hoy, please visit his website:

https://thegreghoy.com/