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Writer's picturebethanyhildebrandt

FIRST LOOK: Inside Greta Van Fleet's Third Full-Length LP 'STARCATCHER'



Photo by Neil Krug


Grammy-winning rock icons Greta Van Fleet released "Meeting The Master:Live From Anaheim" and you can listen and watch HERE. The track and live video come to us ahead of the band's third full-length LP release of Starcatcher - out July 21 via Lava/Republic Records.


Greta Van Fleet has cemented their status as one of the most in-demand live rock acts of their generation, having sold more than one million tickets worldwide with over 250 sold-out shows to date across five continents—including selling out every one of their headlining shows for the past two years. Buoyed by this incredible support, when it came time for the band to record their third full-length album, Starcatcher, the quartet decided to track the music live in order to capture the energy and immediacy of their performances and build on the momentum of the past few years. This recording approach was a departure from the meticulous way Greta Van Fleet made their 2021 sophomore release, The Battle at Garden’s Gate, which led to No. 1s on multiple Billboard charts and more than 200 million album streams.


The Nashville-based rock band—Josh Kiszka (vocals); his twin brother, Jake Kiszka (guitar); their younger brother Sam Kiszka (bass/keyboards); and friend Danny Wagner (drums)—knew Starcatcher would benefit from a looser vibe based around instinct and chance. Their songwriting had matured and they were better musicians, for starters. And after achieving cinematic album success, the band knew they could best show off their incredible dynamics by getting back to their roots.


“The whole concept for Starcatcher, even before it had a name, was, ‘Let’s take it back to the beginning. Let’s capture that same energy,’” says Sam. “We’re going back to our roots while moving forward at the same time.”


Starcatcher is the sound of four musicians amplifying one another’s strengths, across snarling, barnstorming rock (“The Falling Sky”), meditative, gnarled hard rock (“Sacred the Thread”), acoustic-driven pastoral folkrock (“Farewell for Now”), and stinging psychedelic rock (“The Indigo Streak”). Occasional organ or keyboard flourishes pop out of the mix, adding texture and melodrama.


“We wanted to keep it very true to our stage sound and make the music easy to recreate,” Wagner says. “We wanted to focus on the writing so that the instruments speak for themselves.”



Photo by Neil Krug

Greta Van Fleet’s different (but complementary) personalities have contributed to the band’s success. Fitting for a drummer, Danny is meticulous and perceptive, but also quite concise with his observations. Jake is also thorough and detailed about the band’s musical processes but has his eye on the big picture. Sam, meanwhile, is more laid-back and casual, but easily slips into philosophical musings and even the occasional lighthearted dig at one of his brothers. And Josh is also affable and easygoing, in possession of a dry sense of humor and a knack for describing ordinary situations using vivid, creative imagery.


In the end, Starcatcher encapsulates the push and pull between who the band is on stage versus how they are in real life— but represents Greta Van Fleet at their best and most authentic selves. “We didn’t really have to force or be intense about writing, because everything that happened was very instinctual,” Jake says. “If anything, the record is our perspective, and sums up where we are as a group and individually as musicians.”

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