• 2012-

  Josh Kiszka Singer2012-

  Jake Kiszka Guitar2012-

  Sam Kiszka Bass2012-

  Danny WagnerDrums2013-

  Kyle HauckDrums2012-13
• Greta Van Fleet is four-piece rock group formed in 2012. The band members hail from the small farming community of Frankenmuth in Michigan.
• The group consists of the brothers Josh, Jake and Sam Kiszka, plus their drummer friend from school, Danny Wagner, who joined them a year later as a replacement for their original stickman, Kyle Hauck.
• The Kiszka boys' father is a chemist, their mother a former science teacher. Their parents encouraged their love of music and were hugely supportive of their first faltering musical experiments.
• They are named after an elderly Frankenmuth neighbor of the Kiszka boys called Gretna Van Fleet. Their use of the modified version of her name was done with her (later) blessing.
• Vocalist Josh Kiszka told Kerrang that it was when Danny Wagner joined the band that Greta Van Fleet truly took shape. "The stars came out in the sky at the end of our first gig together," he recalled, "and we were like, 'Okay, maybe this is the next chapter.'"
• Josh Kiszka came out as gay on June 21, 2023. In an Instagram post, Kiszka wrote he had been in a "loving, same-sex relationship" for the past eight years. He also said he was coming out in light of recent laws in Tennessee that he felt were targeting LGBTQ citizens.
• Yes, these guys sound a lot like Led Zeppelin, and they're sick of talking about it. The subject often comes up in interviews, and they usually deflect by naming some of their litany of other influences, including Eric Clapton, Jimi Hendrix and Muddy Waters. They play down the Led Zeppelin comparisons because they don't want that to be what they're known for.

Comments

More Songfacts:

AirplanesB.o.B

"Airplanes" by B.o.B was written by Lupe Fiasco, who recorded it but decided to pass.

Instant KarmaJohn Lennon

"Instant Karma" is one of John Lennon's most hopeful songs, written and recorded in one day at a time when he felt people were pulling together in a positive direction.

We Belong TogetherMariah Carey

Mariah Carey's "We Belong Together" was the best-selling song of the 2000s in the US.

NameThe Goo Goo Dolls

"Name" by The Goo Goo Dolls was partly inspired by lead singer John Rzeznik's flirtation with the MTV VJ Kennedy, who didn't want him to tell anyone her real name.

Do You Realize??The Flaming Lips

The Flaming Lips' "Do You Realize??" was named in March 2009 the official Rock Song of Oklahoma. Four years later, Oklahoma's governor Mary Fallin pulled the tune as the state's official rock song in a move her office said had more to do with priorities than musical taste.

Watching The DetectivesElvis Costello

Lyrically, Elvis Costello's "Watching The Detectives" was inspired by American detective shows; musically, it was inspired by The Clash.

Editor's Picks

Tom Bailey of Thompson TwinsSongwriter Interviews

Tom stopped performing Thompson Twins songs in 1987, in part because of their personal nature: "Hold Me Now" came after an argument with his bandmate/girlfriend Alannah Currie.

PrinceFact or Fiction

Prince is shrouded in mystery, making him an excellent candidate for Fact or Fiction. Is he really a Scientologist? Does he own an exotic animal?

Vince ClarkeSongwriter Interviews

An original member of Depeche Mode, Vince went on to form Erasure and Yaz.

Paul WilliamsSongwriter Interviews

He's a singer and an actor, but as a songwriter Paul helped make Kermit a cultured frog, turned a bank commercial into a huge hit and made love both "exciting and new" and "soft as an easy chair."

Dar WilliamsSongwriter Interviews

A popular contemporary folk singer, Williams still remembers the sticky note that changed her life in college.

Song CitiesMusic Quiz

Nirvana, Billy Joel and Bruce Springsteen are among those who wrote songs with cities that show up in this quiz.