Today we’re diving into a recent chat between Greta Van Fleet guitarist Jake Kiszka and Audacy Check-In’s Taryn Daly. During their conversation, they discussed the band’s favorite songs to play live, as well as their notorious difficulty in keeping their tunes short and sweet. Let’s take a closer look at how their live performances often take on a life of their own.
It seems that Jake and drummer Danny Wagner agree on their favorite live track, ‘The Weight of Dreams.’ Clocking in at nearly nine minutes, this epic song is a prime example of Greta Van Fleet’s penchant for stretching the boundaries of their music. And if you think that’s long, you should see their live shows! Thanks to their improvisational style, these performances can be even lengthier and more elaborate than the album versions.
According to Jake, the band’s love for indulging in these musical meanderings comes from a genuine passion for exploring and expanding their songs. They find it hard to keep things concise because they’re always itching to dive deeper into their tunes, experimenting with different structures and arrangements. This free-spirited approach is never more apparent than in their live shows, where all bets are off, and the band truly lets loose.
It’s this spirit of creative exploration that drives Greta Van Fleet’s live performances. As Jake explains, they thrive on that connection and communication between band members, as they dive into the complexities of songs like ‘Age of Machine’ and ‘The Weight of Dreams.’ It’s not just about playing music; it’s about having a musical conversation on stage and the thrill of venturing into uncharted territory.
Kiszka’s comments on their way of writing songs:
“I think it comes down to the intricacies of these particular songs that make them maybe more appealing to play live, but it’s total indulgence. It’s difficult for us to write short songs because we have this habit of sort of elongating and bending these sort of structures and arrangements of music. Live, there’s no holds barred. There’s no rules. Sh*t goes right out the window.
So you take ‘Age of Machine’ or ‘The Weight of Dreams,’ they become way more complex and more drawn out, but it’s totally us feeling in tune with that and communicating and having that discussion onstage. There’s a vernacular to it, a language, but then it gets into a territory where it’s just really enjoyable to play those particular songs live.”
Thus, Greta Van Fleet’s difficulty in writing short songs is a testament to their unbridled creativity and passion for their craft. As they continue to push the boundaries of their music both in the studio and on stage, fans can look forward to even more epic and unforgettable performances from this talented group. So, if you’re ready to take a wild ride through Greta Van Fleet’s ever-evolving musical landscape, strap in and enjoy the show!
