Greta Van Fleet are set to return with their sophomore album, The Battle at Garden’s Gate, on April 16th. The rock act is coming off a whirlwind few years that took them on a meteoric rise from young upstarts to major headliners.
Along with their notable success came some backlash from those who thought the band’s music was too similar to the legendary acts that inspired them, particularly Led Zeppelin. But as heard on the first few singles of the new album, including “Heat Above”, Greta Van Fleet are branching out musically, embracing a more progressive sound.
Ahead of the release of The Battle at Gardens’ Gate, Heavy Consequence caught up with brothers Josh Kiszka (lead vocals) and Sam Kiszka (bass, keyboards) to discuss the album over video Zoom.
“It’s rooted in classic rock, but a lot of the exploration in music making … seems really natural,” remarked Josh of the band’s sonic evolution. “Over the course of so many years, you start to open up new perspectives, and it seems to be a little more progressive than it was, but I think there was always a progressive element to [our music].”
Elsewhere, Josh and Sam talked about navigating the pandemic, admitting that as a band with three brothers, it certainly helped as far as being together in person to complete the album.
Prior to the pandemic, Greta Van Fleet were set to open for Metallica in South America, what certainly would’ve been a momentous occasion for the band. They still plan on supporting Metallica once it’s safe to do so, and they know it’s a daunting task.
“I think it’s [about] harnessing all our energy to stand up to an act like Metallica, that plays so loud with so much gusto,” said Sam of their approach to opening up for the iconic metal band. “The reality is we’re nothing like Metallica. In some strange world, we are grouped in the same genre, in a way.”
For more on Josh and Sam’s thoughts on Metallica, the new album, select new songs, the pandemic, and where they see themselves in 10 years, check out our full Zoom interview above. Greta Van Fleet’s The Battle at Garden’s Gate is available for pre-order here.
Trouble viewing the video player above? Watch the interview on YouTube.
