Today we’d like to introduce you to Greg Keys.
Hi Greg, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
Music started as something I did purely for the joy of it. After college I knew I wanted more than a 9 to 5, so I started playing around Charleston as a solo artist. Back then a $75 gig felt like a steal because somebody was paying me to do what I loved. It took me about two years to realize this could actually be a living.
Things changed in 2019 when Grayson Lentz saw one of my shows and wanted to get involved. We started recruiting musicians, writing songs from our own lives, and playing anywhere that would have us. We played more than 250 shows that year alone.
Over the next couple of years we pushed hard into original music, and eventually we sold over 700 tickets to a local Charleston show. That was the moment I believed people would really show up for songs we wrote ourselves.
Weddings came into the picture as a way to fund the music, but they slowly became something much bigger. Keys and Company grew out of all those years of playing live, and I realized what we had learned on stage worked at a reception too. Today weddings are our full-time focus, and we perform throughout the Southeast with Charleston as our main wedding market.
My wife Emma and I live in Greenville now, after about 11 years in Charleston, but I still primarily perform in Charleston on the weekends. I feel lucky to make a living through music, and I know how many people helped make that possible, especially my dad, Mike, who supported me when I set aside a secure path in business for a much riskier one.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Not at all. The hardest stretch was 2020. We had just spent a year building a band, and then the shows disappeared. We lost most of the musicians we had recruited because they needed steady work, and I couldn’t blame them. When the city slowly started opening back up, we went out as a duo and played everywhere, more than 12 shows a week at one point. Nobody knew who we were, but within about six months we had put ourselves on the map. That period taught me that music can be your passion, but it also has to work as a business.
The second challenge was tougher in a quieter way. We played pop-leaning originals alongside cover shows, and for a while it bothered me that some other musicians and venue folks wrote us off as sellouts without ever really seeing us play. Eventually I stopped trying to win those people over and started paying attention to the people who kept showing up.
The business side has been its own education. Booking, running a team, and keeping all the moving parts organized took real time to learn. I like to say about 90 percent of the work happens before the show even starts. I’m still working on the balance between a busy wedding calendar and the time it takes to keep improving as a musician.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I’m a singer, pianist, and songwriter, and I own Keys and Company, a band that brings a concert feel to weddings and events. I sing lead and play piano/keyboard.
We blend modern songs, throwbacks, rock, country, and big singalongs, and we use mashups, backing tracks, and smooth transitions so the night never loses its momentum. Depending on the event, our lineup can include piano, drums, bass, guitar, saxophone, and female vocals. We want grandparents, parents, and friends all singing the same song.
What sets us apart is that we came up as live performers. After more than 1,000 live shows, we think about a reception the way you’d think about a concert: the pacing, the energy, and where the big moments land. We’ve also put a lot into the parts people don’t always notice, like better sound and lighting, more organized planning, and MC coordination that makes the day easier for couples and planners.
I’m most proud of the live show we’ve built and the fact that everyone in the band gets a moment to shine. It’s a fun show to watch, and even more fun to play.
Separate from the band, I’m developing a new original music project. It’s rock and piano driven, with big melodies and an anthemic, uplifting, rebellious energy, and my influences there include The Killers, Kings of Leon, and The Fray. Building a sustainable creative career, improving my craft, and creating meaningful live experiences are what matter most to me.
What was your favorite childhood memory?
Honestly looking back I feel like it was all the concerts I got to go to with my family. My dad took us to see Rush, The Doobie Brothers, Hall & Oats, and some of the classic bands of the 80s while my brother was always convincing me to go to a Dave Matthews concert or even a Vans Warp Tour when we went through our classic early 2000’s emo phase. AFI, Green Day, Disturbed. We always had an outlet, and it was always music. We saw everything from Coldplay to Lil Wayne, John Mayer, The Fray, to Kings of Leon. Most of my best experiences as a kid always included music.
Pricing:
- Our Weddings start at $4500, our Private events around $2500-5000
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.keysandcoevents.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/keysandcoevents
- Youtube: https://youtu.be/lEeBK1H1Jgk
