HEAVY chats with SAM KISZKA from GRETA VAN FLEET

It's been five long years since US rock sensations Greta Van Fleet have toured Australia, but the band have announced they are returning for a string of shows across this country and New Zealand this August with a promise to make up for lost time.
Greta Van Fleet have taken the world by storm following the breakthrough success of their 2017 EP From The Fires, which won the group Best Rock Album at the 61st Grammy Awards.
From there the band - brothers, vocalist Josh Kiszka, guitarist Jake Kiszka and bassist/keyboardist Sam Kiszka plus drummer Danny Wagner - released well-received albums Anthem of the Peaceful Army (2018) and The Battle At Garden's Gate (2021) before unveiling Starcatcher in 2023.
While their familiar brand of rock has captured the hearts and ears on a global scale, it is Greta Van Fleet's stunning live performances that have set the band apart from a multitude of similar outfits.
Sam Kiszka sat down with HEAVY recently to discuss the upcoming tour.
"This is gonna be over the top," he enthused. "It's been way too long since we've been there. And, of course, like everybody else, I'm gonna say we had a tour planned, but then for some reason everything got cancelled… But now, finally, we're gonna be there, and I'm so excited because we love Australia."
Sam's enthusiasm is so infectious, we have to point out how refreshing it is to hear someone genuinely excited about a tour.
"I know it sounds… It's like, at every show you can say 'oh yeah, Sydney, you're my favourite city in the world', but we fucken LOVE Australia, going to the beaches and going out and seeing the wildlife," he smiled convincingly. "You can get outside of the city so quick. It feels so good to be out of town in the middle of nowhere."
We ask Sam what has changed with Greta Van Fleet since their last Australian tour in 2019.
"I guess a couple of albums," he laughed. "We've got two albums out since then, and, oh gosh… the show's a completely different experience. We're really happy to be finally coming to share the show, because we've always wanted to curate everything right down to a T. Everything. From the colour of the stage, to the light show, to the pyro that we're using and the music, and the jamming. We're, like, 'how much should we jam'… everything has changed since then. There are so many more songs that the show is so different. There's so many great moments in the show… Gosh, I'm so excited!"
In the full interview Sam talks through the live show in greater detail, speaks of the nostalgia of playing at venues like Wembley and Madison Square Garden, any difficulties the band faces going from the euphoria of a sold-out stadium show to a smaller venue performance, their new album Starcatcher and how it has been received, capturing the band's live energy on that album, winning the Grammy in 2017 and what pressures it placed on the band, the temptation to replicate a winning album formula and more.
For complete tour and ticket information, visit: gretavanfleet.com & livenation.com.au & livenation.co.nz