We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Greg Knight a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, Greg thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Going back to the beginning – how did you come up with the idea in the first place?
For most of my life, I’ve been drawn to adventures and new challenges. I’ve always had a running bucket list of things I wanted to experience—surf trips, sailing adventures, kayaking expeditions, traveling to new places, and pushing myself outside my comfort zone. One item that stayed on that list for years was creating my own album of original music.
I had been writing songs and playing guitar for a long time, but if I’m being honest, most of my early songs weren’t very good. I simply enjoyed the process of writing, creating, and playing. Music was something I loved, but it felt like a hobby rather than something I could seriously pursue.
Everything changed during Covid. A friend helped me set up a small home recording studio and introduced me to Logic Pro. For the first time, I could record my own ideas and hear them come to life. That opened a door I didn’t even know existed. What started as learning recording software quickly turned into an obsession with songwriting, production, arrangement, and the craft of creating great songs.
The idea of building a creative business around music wasn’t as strange to me as it might be for some people because I had already reinvented myself before. Over the years, I had started and run a kayaking business and later a party rental business. Those experiences taught me that careers aren’t fixed. If you’re willing to learn, work hard, and stay committed, you can become something completely different than what you were before.
That mindset gave me the confidence to pursue music more seriously. I didn’t expect overnight success, but I believed I could get better. Every song taught me something. Every recording session improved my skills. Slowly, the songs became stronger, the productions became more professional, and what began as a bucket-list dream started turning into something real.
Today, I still view music as another great adventure. The goal was never simply to release an album. The goal was to create something meaningful, continue growing as a songwriter and producer, and share songs that make people smile, laugh, think, or remember a moment in their own lives. Looking back, I’m grateful I took that first step because it has become one of the most rewarding journeys I’ve ever been on.
Greg, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
My name is Greg Knight, and I’m a singer-songwriter based in San Diego, California. I describe my music as “Beach Country Rock” because it blends country storytelling with the coastal lifestyle that has shaped much of my life.
I’ve never been someone who could sit still for very long. Over the years I’ve owned businesses, traveled extensively, sailed, surfed, kayaked, played sports, and generally tried to squeeze as much adventure as possible out of life. Music has always been part of that journey. I played guitar and wrote songs for years, but it wasn’t until the Covid years that I decided to take songwriting seriously and learn the craft of recording and producing music.
What started as a bucket-list dream gradually became a passion. I built a home studio, learned Logic Pro, studied songwriting, and began working with talented musicians and producers from around the world. Song by song, I improved. Today I’m writing, recording, and releasing original music while continuing to perform live whenever I can.
Most of my songs are inspired by real experiences, real people, and the things that make life memorable. Some songs are funny and lighthearted, like “Who Stole All Our Beer” or “I Accidentally Wrote You a Drinking Song.” Others celebrate freedom, adventure, friendship, the beach lifestyle, and choosing experiences over possessions. Even when I’m writing about mistakes or challenges, I try to find the humor and joy in the situation.
If there’s a common thread running through my music, it’s that life is meant to be lived. We all get knocked around a little. Plans fall apart. We make mistakes. We take wrong turns. But those moments often become the stories we laugh about years later. I love writing songs that remind people not to take themselves too seriously and to enjoy the ride.
What sets me apart is that I’m not trying to be someone else. I’m not chasing trends or trying to fit into a particular mold. I’m simply writing songs that reflect my own experiences and outlook on life. Whether it’s a sunset over the ocean, a road trip with friends, a sailboat leaving the dock, or a funny story that starts with one bad decision, I want listeners to feel like they’re right there in the moment with me.
What I’m most proud of isn’t any single song. It’s the fact that I had the courage to start. Learning to write, record, produce, and release music later in life was intimidating at first, but it reinforced something I’ve always believed: it’s never too late to learn a new skill, reinvent yourself, or pursue a dream that has been sitting on your bucket list for years.
When people discover my music, I hope they see more than just songs. I hope they see a reminder to chase adventures, laugh at life’s imperfections, spend more time doing what you love, and never stop creating the life you want to live.
Looking back, are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?
There are two resources I wish I’d discovered much earlier: artificial intelligence and the incredible online music collaboration tools that exist today.
I know that might sound funny coming from a songwriter because there’s a lot of debate about AI in the music world right now. The truth is, I’ve experimented with it quite a bit. While AI can do many amazing things, I haven’t found it capable of replacing the heart, life experiences, and human emotions that make a great song resonate. Believe me, I’ve tried. It can generate lyrics and melodies, but it can’t live a life, tell a genuine story, or sit around a campfire with friends playing guitar and connecting with people.
What AI has done, however, is save me an incredible amount of time. Tasks that used to take hours of research, organization, brainstorming, or learning can now happen in minutes. As an independent artist who wears a lot of hats, that’s incredibly valuable. It allows me to spend more time actually creating music and less time getting buried in administrative work.
The other resource I wish I’d found sooner is the ability to collaborate with talented musicians and producers from around the world. Years ago, if you wanted professional musicians on your songs, you needed access to a major studio or a local network of players. Today I can work with world-class drummers, bass players, vocalists, producers, and songwriters from multiple countries without leaving my home studio. That has completely changed what’s possible for independent artists.
The music industry is evolving incredibly fast. In some ways, everyone has suddenly become a songwriter thanks to tools like AI music generators. But I still believe there will always be a place for authentic artists who can write from real experiences, perform live, connect with audiences, and create something uniquely human. Technology is a fantastic tool, but it’s still the person behind the guitar that ultimately matters.
If I could go back and tell my younger self one thing, it would be this: embrace the tools, but never forget that the stories, experiences, and emotions you bring to the table are the part that can’t be automated.
Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?
My entire life has been a series of pivots.
When I graduated from college, I had dreams of becoming a professional baseball player. Like a lot of young athletes, I thought that was going to be my path. When that chapter didn’t unfold the way I had imagined, I had a choice: keep looking backward or find a new adventure.
That led me into the kayaking world. What started as an interest eventually became a career. I immersed myself in it completely, learned everything I could, and spent roughly fifteen years building a life around kayaking, guiding trips, and helping others experience the outdoors. It wasn’t just a job—it became part of my identity.
Years later, I made another major pivot and started a party rental business. Once again, I found myself learning an entirely new industry from the ground up. There were moments when I wondered if I was crazy to start over, but I’ve always believed that if you’re willing to put in the work, you can reinvent yourself.
The biggest lesson from those experiences was realizing that success leaves clues. I wasn’t successful because I knew everything on day one. I became successful because I was willing to learn, make mistakes, adapt, and keep moving forward. Once you’ve done that a few times, changing directions becomes less scary because you begin to trust your ability to figure things out.
Music has been my latest and perhaps most rewarding pivot. Unlike the others, this wasn’t something I pursued primarily as a business opportunity. It started as a dream. Writing and recording an album had been sitting on my bucket list for years. During Covid, I built a home studio and started learning the craft of songwriting and production more seriously. What began as a hobby quickly turned into a passion and eventually into a genuine pursuit.
Looking back, the common thread through all of these pivots is curiosity. I’ve never been afraid to start over if something excites me enough. Whether it was baseball, kayaking, entrepreneurship, or music, I’ve always been drawn to challenges that force me to grow.
If there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that life rarely follows the path you originally planned. Sometimes the best opportunities come from having the courage to let go of one dream and chase another. Every pivot in my life has opened doors I never would have discovered otherwise, and music is proving to be no different.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.gregorknightmusic.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gregorknightmusic/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/gregknightmusic
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@gregorknightmusic
- Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/gregorknight
- Other: Spotify – https://open.spotify.com/artist/3TZoJPZPoNtcNmWG13ZmbK?si=BElWlXUcTiCDH6U5j-MCBw
