Greta Van Fleet is an American rock band that was formed in Frankenmuth, Michigan in 2012. The band includes vocalist Josh Kiszka, guitarist Jake Kiszka, bassist/keyboardist Sam Kiszka, and drummer Danny Wagner. Josh and Jake Kiszka are twins, and all three Kiszka brothers are part of the group. In March 2017, Greta Van Fleet signed with Lava Records. A month later, they released their first EP, Black Smoke Rising. Their first single, "Highway Tune," reached the top of the Billboard U.S. Mainstream Rock and Active Rock charts in September 2017 for four weeks in a row. In November 2017, the band released a second EP called From the Fires, which included the four songs from Black Smoke Rising and four new songs. This EP also featured a second single, "Safari Song." From the Fires won the 2019 Grammy Award for Best Rock Album.

The band’s first full-length studio album, Anthem of the Peaceful Army, was released on October 19, 2018. It reached the top of the Billboard Rock Albums chart in its first week. The album’s first single, "When the Curtain Falls," was released in July 2018 and became the band’s third number-one single on the U.S. Billboard Mainstream Rock chart. Anthem of the Peaceful Army also topped the Billboard Hard Rock charts and reached number one on the Billboard Top Album Sales charts in its first week. A second studio album, The Battle at Garden's Gate, was released on April 16, 2021. Their third studio album, Starcatcher, was released on July 21, 2023.

History

The band was formed in 2012 in Frankenmuth, Michigan, by twin brothers Josh and Jake Kiszka, their younger brother Sam, and Kyle Hauck. Creating a band had always been Jake Kiszka's dream. He joined his high school band to work toward that goal, where he met Hauck. Practicing music together in the Kiszka family garage led to inviting brothers Josh and Sam to join, and later forming the band. The band's name was created when Hauck heard a relative mention "Gretna Van Fleet," a resident of Frankenmuth. The band used a different version of her name with her later approval. Van Fleet said in an interview that while the band's music is not her favorite, she supports them and believes they are talented.

With Hauck as the drummer, the band recorded three songs: "Cloud Train," "Highway Tune," and "Standing On." Hauck was replaced by the brothers' friend Danny Wagner in 2013. The initial guitar riff for "Highway Tune" was written by guitarist Jake Kiszka as early as 2010. The song was released as a single in March 2017. On February 28, 2014, a live EP was recorded in one take and released on June 7, 2014. In March 2014, their song "Standing On" was used in 2014 Chevy Equinox advertisements in the Detroit area. "Standing On" is one of several songs, including "By the Riverside," "Cloud Train," "Down to the River," "Motown Funk No. 4," "Sing in the Rain," "Thunder Stomp," "Occidentali," and "Written in Gold," that were previously released but are no longer available.

On January 17, 2016, the band performed "Highway Tune" on the Showtime show Shameless. On March 31, 2017, the final version of "Highway Tune" was released on iTunes as the band's first official single. On April 2, 2017, iTunes began streaming the song. On April 18, 2017, the music video for "Highway Tune" was released exclusively on Loudwire. The band's debut EP, Black Smoke Rising, was released on April 21, 2017. On the same day, Apple Music named Greta Van Fleet "new artist of the week." The band toured with The Struts in May 2017.

In October 2017, the band won Best New Artist at the Loudwire Music Awards. The band released an eight-song double EP titled From the Fires on November 10, 2017. This EP includes the four tracks from Black Smoke Rising, along with new recordings "Edge of Darkness" and "Talk on the Street," and covers of Sam Cooke's "A Change Is Gonna Come" and Fairport Convention's "Meet on the Ledge." The four new tracks were recorded in September 2017 at Rustbelt Studios in Royal Oak, Michigan, and produced by Al Sutton and Marlon Young, the same team that produced Black Smoke Rising. The band also released "Safari Song" as a single in October 2017. Greta Van Fleet performed for fellow Michigan native Bob Seger at the Dow Event Center in Saginaw, Michigan, on September 7. In November 2017, the band announced plans to record their first full-length studio album shortly after releasing From the Fires, with a release expected by mid-2018.

In January 2018, the band recorded two songs at Spotify Studios in New York City. They released an acoustic version of "Black Smoke Rising" and a cover of Adele's "Rolling in the Deep" as a single on January 24, 2018.

The band performed at Elton John's Academy Award Party on March 4, 2018, at John's request. John joined Greta Van Fleet onstage for his song "Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting" and their song "You're the One." After the performance, Elton John encouraged the band to be more dramatic and flamboyant in their stage presence. On July 26, 2018, the band made their TV debut on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, performing "When the Curtain Falls," the first single from their upcoming debut album.

Their debut album, Anthem of the Peaceful Army, was released on October 19, 2018. According to Josh Kiszka, the album's name was taken from the title of a poem. It sold 80,000 copies in its first week and debuted at number three on the Billboard 200. In December 2018, the band was nominated for four Grammy Awards: Best New Artist, Best Rock Performance for "Highway Tune," Best Rock Song for "Black Smoke Rising," and Best Rock Album for From the Fires, which they won.

On January 19, 2019, Greta Van Fleet performed on Saturday Night Live, playing "Black Smoke Rising" and the second single from Anthem of the Peaceful Army, "You're the One." A third single, "Lover, Leaver," was released in May 2019. The band contributed "Always There," an outtake from the album, to the soundtrack of the film A Million Little Pieces. In July 2019, Jake and Sam Kiszka told New Musical Express that they were working on a new album and that their musical style had evolved.

On October 9, 2020, the band released a new single, "My Way, Soon," with a music video created by the band. The song was expected to appear on their upcoming second album, which Wagner said reflected the band's experiences during their tours over the previous two years. On December 4, 2020, the band announced their second studio album would be titled The Battle at Garden's Gate. A single titled "Age of Machine" was also released with the announcement. The album was released on April 16, 2021. On February 10, 2021, the band released the third single "Heat Above." On March 19, 2021, the band released the fourth single "Broken Bells." The band toured globally on the "Dreams in Gold" tour in 2021 and 2022. In the July 16–22 tracking period, Greta Van Fleet earned 7.6 million U.S. on-demand streams of their music, a 122% increase, and 5,000 album sales, an 86% increase.

At the final three shows of their "Dreams in Gold" tour, the band performed five new songs: "Meeting the Master," "The Falling Sky," "The Indigo Streak," "Sacred

Musical style and influences

Greta Van Fleet's music is classified as hard rock, blues rock, and progressive rock. The band is sometimes linked to a classic rock revival. Although all four members share a love for blues, each has different musical preferences: Jake enjoys rock and roll, Sam likes jazz, Danny prefers folk, and Josh likes world music. Jake mentioned in an interview that all three brothers listened to their parents' vinyl records, which included blues and folk music. Sam said, "It's not like we set out to be a rock and roll band, it's just that sound that comes out when we get together and play." The band writes songs together after one member comes up with an idea for a song. Danny explained that many of their songs start as folk-style pieces before changing into something else.

Greta Van Fleet is often compared to Led Zeppelin. Jake said he studied Jimmy Page's guitar playing for a year and learned how Page thought about music. He also studied other classic rock guitarists, including Pete Townshend. Josh noted that Robert Plant's voice has influenced him, "though it's not what I was going for." He explained that he did not know who Led Zeppelin were until high school and that his singing style developed naturally when he struggled to be heard over the band. In a March 2018 interview, Plant said, "they are Led Zeppelin I" and called Josh "a beautiful little singer."

Jake's other guitar influences include John Lee Hooker, Elmore James, Bert Jansch, Eric Clapton, and Keith Richards. Danny was inspired by drummers such as Carmine Appice, John Bonham, Mitch Mitchell, and Michael Shrieve. Sam's favorite bass player is Motown session bassist James Jamerson. Josh Kiszka mentioned that he admires Joe Cocker's stage movements and performances.

The group was also influenced by Rush, Aerosmith, Queen, and the Doors.

Side projects

On April 19, 2024, guitarist Jake Kiszka and Chris Turpin (from the band Ida Mae) created a new musical group called Mirador. Both members play guitar and sing. In a message posted on Greta Van Fleet's social media, Mirador was described as "a new group made up of our own" [Jake Kiszka]. On April 18, 2024, Greta Van Fleet shared news that Mirador would perform at select shows. Mirador first performed live on April 27, 2024, at Chaifetz Arena in St. Louis, Missouri. Their setlist included songs titled "Feels Like Gold," "Roving Blade," "Must I Go Bound," "Fortunes Fate," and "Skyway Drifter." Mirador's spring tour with Greta Van Fleet ended on May 21, 2024, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Band members

• Joshua Kiszka – lead vocals (2012–present)
• Jake Kiszka – guitars, backing vocals (2012–present)
• Sam Kiszka – bass guitar, keyboards, backing vocals (2012–present)
• Daniel Wagner – drums, percussion, backing vocals (2013–present)

• Kyle Hauck – drums (2012–2013)

Awards

The Fryderyk Awards is an annual event that honors artists who contribute to Polish music.

The Grammy Awards, or simply the Grammys, are awards given by the Recording Academy in the United States to honor top achievements in music. They are widely considered the most prestigious and important awards in the global music industry.

The iHeartRadio Music Awards is a music awards show that celebrates music played on iHeartMedia radio stations across the country.

The Loudwire Music Awards is an annual event that celebrates music from the past year.

The Clio Awards is an annual award show focused on excellence in advertising.

The Detroit Music Awards is an annual event that honors artists locally, statewide, and nationally for musical excellence.

Total Guitar is a monthly magazine and website that celebrates great guitar playing and music.

The Pollstar Awards is the only awards program that focuses entirely on excellence in live performances, as decided by professionals in the industry.