INTERVIEW: KALEO
Photo Credit: Elektra Records
Interview by Gwyneth Moe
I got to catch up with JJ, lead singer of KALEO, before their show at the Roadrunner in Boston, MA on 9/11.
Gwyneth Moe (GM): So you’ve been on and off during this whole summer. How have you been feeling about the tour so far?
JJ: Yeah, it’s been great. We’re happy to be back on the road. You know, we’ve been putting out some new music this year, so it’s always fun when we can do both and kind of, you know, get the best reactions and stuff from fans.
GM: And you’ve been teasing a new album with these singles. What can fans expect from your next release sound wise?
JJ: Well, diversity as usual, I would say. Yeah, just every song kind of I’ve worked hard on and explored sonically. So I think there’s a lot of different songs on this record. I’m excited for everyone to hear.
GM: You’ve played quite a few shows so far on this tour.. Have you had a particular venue that that stands out and just had a really like a great venue experience you’ve had so far?
JJ: Oh so far? Yeah, we’ve had maybe probably two this year stand out. We did one in Rome at the Colosseum in Rome, in Italy. And then we always love Red rocks, in Colorado.
GM: That’s always such a cool venue. A lot of your music and presence is very Western inspired rock and folk, and you’ve recorded in Nashville a few times as well. How does being from Iceland change how you approach this genre rather than a band from the States?
JJ: It’s a good question. I mean, I can’t really tell you by looking through my own eyes, but yeah, sometimes it seems like the British Invasion, you know, bringing back the blues to America and stuff. Maybe that is a factor,but Nashville’s become a second home for me, so I spent a lot of time there. I live there, basically half the time, and it’s just an incredible city. I mean, the city’s full of life, especially at the moment. I think it’s growing extremely fast, but it’s still the Mecca of music in the world. And working there is just perfect, honestly. They have about 200 studios, I think, in Nashville. And the session players are amazing. So you can just really get so much work done over there, which is really what fits and suits me quite well.
GM: One of your recent releases, “USA Today”, really dives into a lot of current issues in the US. Being that you’re not originally from here, what was the most shocking thing for you when you first moved here?
JJ: I mean, you know, I am an immigrant, and so I kind of look at probably things differently. But it is different because obviously I’m from Iceland, which is a, I would say very safe place. You know, the police don’t carry don’t carry firearms. It’s just an issue that we’ve seen on the news, obviously. And, I mean, it seems to affect this nation quite a bit. We’re not necessarily taking sides.The song speaks for itself, but, you know, I’m not against guns necessarily, but I am pro gun control, if that makes sense.
GM: Building kind of off of that, just Iceland history. You’ve known a few of your bandmates since you guys were kids. Does this make the creative process easier or harder?
JJ: I love to think that it makes it easier. We know each other a long way. You know, we had our ups and downs for most of us, the great times, and at the end of the day I’m grateful to be traveling the world with my friends rather than hired guns. It’s a lifestyle, you know, it’s not for everyone. It’s hard work and people don’t always see that. But, you know, it’s really enjoyable. And I think we’re in a really good place. And still young. We’re still enjoying it.
GM: When did you realize that your music was having such an impact, both in Iceland and then reaching abroad?
JJ: I mean, I felt like we got very lucky early on. The band formed in 2012, but we had been playing before that, covers and other other things. Things took off pretty much back home in Iceland. And then only a year in, we were basically already signed. So, as I tell people, it’s kind of been a pretty intense roller coaster ride for the last decade or so.
GM: And your music since then has been in a number of films, gear, productions and performances. I’m actually a figure skater, and I remember a few years ago, one of the US’s professional figure skaters, Jason Brown, did his short program to “I Can’t Go On Without You.” Have you seen this performance? And how do you feel about people using your music in these different artistic settings?
JJ: I love that that’s such an honor, and I would love to see that, actually, that would make a great music video. When you can combine other arts, it’s exciting being in a great film or a TV show or documentary. When the arts come together, even sports, it’s enjoyable. So yeah, I’m definitely all for that.
GM: And just to kind of close out the interview, do you have a favorite song to perform live, and does this answer vary depending on where you’re playing?
JJ: It’s very difficult to narrow down to one, but like you said, sometimes you’re playing a show where the energy is really high and then there’s obviously more enjoyable to play, more of the rock and roll stuff, like “No Good” or something that has a lot of energy. People like getting up on their feet, you know, clapping along, really driving the energy. And then other times, you have a crowd that is really listening to musicianship and, and then songs, like you mentioned can’t go on[“I Can’t Go On Without You”], maybe have a more of an impact. So I think my goal with the live show is really to bring dynamics to the show. I think you can do both because the songs are very different. We do have more melodic ballads and then we have the up tempo stuff. So I think you can really put on a great show using music.