Photo by Rebecca Potzner
To the world, he’s the little brother and the youngest member of Greta Van Fleet. To myself and countless others, he’s one of the most breath taking, astonishing, ethereal musicians there’s ever been. Incorporating heavy bass lines along with elegant and exhilarating keyboard sounds, Sam Kiszka has introduced the percussion section of GVF to an entire generation.
As a self-taught musician, Sam Kiszka found himself at twelve years old fiddling around with his father’s Fernandez P Bass, being introduced to blues and jazz players such as Jack Bruce and Buddy Guy. Surrounded by music his entire life between his dad juggling multiple bands throughout Michigan, his mother playing piano and singing, and his older brothers Jake and Josh Kiszka playing out in the garage, there was no way Sam could escape the musician lifestyle. “I started playing bass because my mother pressured me into playing in the garage with my brothers.” Once Sam became more serious about playing bass, Jake began teaching him easy riffs, although he tuned the bass wrong. “Instead of EDAG, it was tuned DGBE. Before it was tuned properly, I couldn’t create the sounds I wanted.”
Growing up in Michigan and having a father who ensured his sons knew where popular rock came from, Sam grew up with Motown and always loved the unique bass tones in Motown music. “Motown was how I came to understand bass and how it incorporates into music.” Marlon Young (producer for GVF’s debut EP From The Fires) gifted Sam a Fender P Bass with a Made In Mexico jazz neck that’s become his number one, tried and true, and as he’s stated, “me in materialistic form.” It’s the mint green P Bass you’ll always see with Sam… With the exception of when “My Way, Soon” is performed, which is a Fender custom sized “Sam Kiszka Bass”, specifically designed with a P Bass head and jazz neck, with a black and red finish.
However Sam is more than just a bass player… He’s also a keyboardist and a storyteller that creates sonic sounds on his Hammond B3 and Mellotron. He explains how he came up with the infamous riff for “Heat Above” by wanting to create a sound to match a vision of white aesthetic and a version of the great beyond. “Like a snowy day in Michigan, where it snows 2-3 feet and the sun’s shining and it’s like a white cover. That’s the sound for the visual I wanted to create for Heat Above.” With the ethereal tones and gospel-esque sound the opening track to GVF’s sophomore album The Battle At Garden’s Gate provides, Sam can instantly pull you in for a transonic journey. Furthering into The Battle At Garden’s Gate, Sam grasps listeners with “The Barbarians” through a mystical journey of deep keyboard tones that create a sonic landscape through its magical melodies.
However, Sam Kiszka shines brightest during the intro to the band’s debut album, Anthem Of The Peaceful Army. “Age Of Man” introduces you to the universe of Greta Van Fleet with its ecstatic mellotron and soothing melodies to pull you in for a phantasmagorical exploration. To match the sensual sounds of Sam’s melodies are such exhilarating lyrics - “And as we came into the clear/To find ourselves where we are here/Who is the wiser to help us steer/And will we know when the end is near?”.
Throughout Greta Van Fleet’s mystic journey so far, Sam Kiszka continues to capture hearts around the world and he can’t wait to capture yours soon enough.
Best GVF Bass Songs:
When The Curtain Falls
Edge Of Darkness
Watching Over
Brave New World
Caravel
My Way, Soon
Best GVF Piano Songs:
Age Of Man
Heat Above
Light My Love
The Barbarians
Flower Power
Stardust Chords