ROLLIN' AND TUMBLIN'

On STARCATCHER, GRETA VAN FLEET'S NEW BACK-TO-BASICS ALBUM, GUITARIST JAKE KISZKA HEADS FOR THE HILLS, CRANKS UP THE VOLUME AND TAPS INTO HIS COUNTRY BLUES INFLUENCES BY 

- ANDREW DALY 

JAKE KISZKA WAS born to rock. And since shuttering onto the scene back in 2017 with his band, Greta Van Fleet, he’s done just that. Of course, it hasn’t always been easy, considering the band is perpetually labeled as Led Zeppelin clones. But no matter; throughout three stellar records, the Frankenmuth, Michigan rockers have kicked all preconceived notions square in the teeth, leaving gain-drenched trails of destruction in their wake.

As for Kiszka, he’s soft-spoken and unassuming. Upon dialing in with him, it was immediately apparent he’s not the sort of six-stringer worried about accolades and hyper-commercialism. No, Kiszka is the spiritual type who wields his trusty Gibson SG as a sacred talisman through which he channels otherworldly notes, gargantuan chords and chugging riffs.

And what of those Zeppelin comparisons? After years spent explaining himself, Kiska now happily straddles the line between wearing his influences like a badge of courage and being entirely unbothered. Of course, there are worse comparisons to be made, and if Greta Van Fleet’s latest, Starcatcher, is any indication, the band — and its swaggering guitarist — are intent on letting the music do the talking.

“We’ve gotten to a place in this band where we’re able to communicate our ideas freely and openly,” Kiszka says. “We don’t only feel the basic emotions of happiness and sadness; there are other things — like jealousy, spite, love, hate, anger and kindness. I think there’s a duality in blending those emotions, and we’ve done everything in our power to have that present in our music.”