Greta Van Fleet Want People to ‘Move On’ From Led Zeppelin Comparisons
Greta Van Fleet have taken the music world by storm, but it’s time to move beyond the “sounds like Led Zeppelin” narrative. Speaking with Rolling Stone, singer Josh Kiszka says that while he was happy to hear positive remarks from Robert Plant and knows that Zeppelin comparisons have repeatedly been made, he’s ready to move forward.
“Obviously we hear the similarity,” says Kiszka. “That one of the influences of ours, but at this point it’s like, ‘Okay, we’ve acknowledged that. Let’s move on.'”
There have been many elder peers singing the band’s praises, among them most recently being Rush’s Alex Lifeson who sees beyond the comparison and envisions a bright future for the group. According to Ultimate Classic Rock, at the recent Rush Fan Day event at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Lifeson was questioned by a fan about any current music he liked. Lifeson responded, “At first, I thought, obviously the influence of Led Zeppelin, but it’s a new time for them, so many decades later, so they’re developing their own audience.”
He went on to add that he sees some similarities between the rock upstarts and his own iconic rock band. “What really struck me about them is their musicianship, their desire to become better players, their arrangements,” said Lifeson. “All of those things, as young players – I think they’re all in their early 20s – there’s a real great future for them as they develop their own style. Much like we did. We were a bar band, really. We had our influences. Certainly Zeppelin was a big influence for us, but once we got out and we got a chance to play and develop our own stuff and start writing our own material … well, you know, that’s history. And I see that with them too. They’re young enough that they can carry that banner for a rock band into the future.”
Greta Van Fleet are getting that footing now, having turned around EPs and their debut full-length album in a relatively short time. Kiszka tells Rolling Stone, “We’re setting some groundwork for the next album. We hope to get an album out this year. This time, we feel less pressure than we did before the last one. We can’t wait to explore a little more of the Greta Van Fleet universe.”
The Best Hard Rock Album of Each Year Since 1970