Greta Van Fleet is an American rock band formed in Frankenmuth, Michigan, in 2012. The band consists of vocalist Josh Kiszka, guitarist Jake Kiszka, bassist/keyboardist Sam Kiszka, and drummer Danny Wagner. The Kiszkas are brothers, and Josh and Jake Kiszka are twins.
Greta Van Fleet was signed to Lava Records in March 2017, and a month later they released their debut studio EP, Black Smoke Rising. Their debut single, "Highway Tune", topped the Billboard U.S. Mainstream Rock and Active Rock charts in September 2017 for four weeks in a row. Their second EP, From the Fires, containing the four songs from Black Smoke Rising and four new songs, was released on November 10, 2017, alongside a second single, "Safari Song". From the Fires went on to win the 2019 Grammy Award for Best Rock Album.
Their debut full-length studio album,
Anthem of the Peaceful Army, was released on October 19, 2018, and topped the Billboard Rock Albums chart in the first week after its release. The album's first single, "When the Curtain Falls", was released ahead of it 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 debuted atop the Billboard Hard Rock charts and reached the number one spot on the Billboard Top Album Sales charts in the first week after its release. 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.
The band performed at Elton John's Academy Award Party on March 4, 2018, at the host's personal request. John joined Greta Van Fleet onstage for his "Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting" and their "You're the One". After the set, Elton John recommended the band get more dramatic and flamboyant with their performance and wardrobe. 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 off of their upcoming debut album.
Greta Van Fleet is often compared to
Led Zeppelin. Jake related that he "... went through a year of really intensely studying what
[Jimmy] Page did to the point I knew how he thought." He has also studied other classic rock guitarists in a similar manner, specifically mentioning
Pete Townshend. Likewise, on his voice being compared to
Robert Plant's, Josh said that Plant has certainly been an influence, "though it's not what I was going for." Stating that he did not even know who Led Zeppelin were until high school, he explained that his singing style came out naturally one day while struggling to be heard over the rest of the band. In a March 2018 interview, Plant said of Greta Van Fleet, "they are Led Zeppelin I" and described Josh as "a beautiful little singer."
-Wikipedia
Danny Wagner
Kyle Hauck
: Frankenmuth, Michigan, U.S.
: 2012-present