Behind The Band: Kaleo

An Icelandic band takes America by storm, including grabbing the attention of Mick Jagger himself!

By The LifeMinute Team

April 28, 2016

The band has been friends since they met at age 17 in their hometown of Mosfellsbr, Iceland. Their first record, Kaleo, was a massive hit in their home country, producing five number one singles and creating a worldwide demand for their brand of pop, rock, folk and blues. We spoke to bandleader JJ Julius Son and drummer David Antonsson Crivello.

On touring in the U.S.

"Being on tour in the U.S. could not be more different than in Iceland, because there are only so many places to go in Iceland," says JJ. "This is just so exciting because every state is different as you cross the country. The fans are really great. We've played four shows, all sold out. You can see the people know the songs and sing along. So that's exciting for us."

On Moving Like Jagger

"I got a call from the label, saying that Scorsese and Jagger wanted this song for the [HBO Vinyl] trailer," says JJ. " It was a hassle because we hadn't finished recording it. We were in the middle of touring and I had to jump into the studio in Pittsburgh and cut the vocals and then we came here to finish the mix. We had only a handful of days to finish the song. But obviously we were excited and happy to be a part of it."

On Their Inspirations

"I'm inspired by a lot of different music and I think you can maybe hear that in the songwriting. It's very diverse. That's also how I am as a listener. I am so inspired by music from the 50s, 60s and 70s," says JJ. Adds drummer David Antosson Crivello, "The classics. I always go back to The Beatles and Zeppelin. I never get tired of them."

On Their Favorite Track

JJ: "I write them and they are all meaningful for me, but the most personal is 'I Can't Go On Without You.'"

On Summer Plans

"There's an album coming out this summer. And we are going to Australia to play the Byron Blues Festival. Festival season. On it goes..." says JJ.

For more information officialkaleo.com.