THE MAN WHO CHOSE CONTENTMENT OVER FAME
In an age where everyone's chasing viral fame and Spotify streams, there's a guy named Greg Rank quietly building what his son calls a "MUSICAL SPACESHIP CONTRAPTION" in his garage workshop.
"I WOULDN'T TRADE ALL THE HIT SONGS IN THE WORLD FOR MY LIFE WITH MARY SUE, OUR LITTLE GROUP OF FRIENDS, AND FAMILY. IT ALL BEGAN WITH ONE FORK, ONE KNIFE, AND ONE SPOON."
THE GLEN CAMPBELL MOMENT
1968: Ten-year-old Greg watches The Glen Campbell Good Time Hour and has his Beatles moment...
LOVE & APRIL FOOL'S DAY
Through songwriting, Greg met Mary Sue. They moved in together on April 1, 1982...
THE ROAD NOT TAKEN
When music publishers waved contracts, Greg did what most artists never do—he said no...
THE ANTI-FAMOUS PHILOSOPHY
Greg represents something radical in the music industry: an artist who succeeded by his own definition.
"I DON'T WANT TO BE FAMOUS. BUT I'D TAKE THE MONEY IF SOMEONE WAS SERIOUS ABOUT SONG LICENSING."
ON MUSIC VS. MUSIC BUSINESS
Greg distinguishes between MAKING MUSIC and MAKING MUSIC BUSINESS. He chose the former, keeping his songs "like secrets whispered to old friends."
ON AI AND THE FUTURE
"With Elvis and the Beatles came the end of the big band and jazz eras. I wouldn't be surprised if that also becomes true for singers and songwriters."
THE REAL SUCCESS
In a world that equates success with size, Greg chose SMALLNESS—workshop over stadium, conversation over performance, bluejays over screaming crowds.
INSIDE THE MUSICAL SPACESHIP
Greg's garage workshop is part recording studio, part shrine to roads not taken. Here's where the magic happens:
THE EQUIPMENT
- CAD vocal mic & Gibson J-45 guitar
- Cubase recording software
- Acoustic bass & harmonica
- Korg-N5 synthesizer
- Half-finished songs in notebooks
- Guitar picks embedded in the desk like fossils
"TWO CREATURES MAKING SOUND FOR THE SIMPLE REASON THAT THEY HAD SOMETHING TO SAY."
This is where "GREGGELOPTICS" (his son's nickname for him) continues to write songs that read like conversations with ghosts of the America he grew up in.