Greta Van Fleet's Sam Kiszka Thinks 'Popular Music' Has 'No Substance'

Greta Van Fleet experienced a meteoric rise since releasing their debut album Anthem of the Peaceful Army. Their throwback sound saw them top charts, tour the world, and even win a Grammy. There's no doubt they're a popular band, but Sam Kiszka had some strong words for what he considers "popular music."

“We listen to a lot of stuff, not by choice, on certain radio stations, that is ‘popular music,’ and there’s no substance," the bassist said in a recent interview. "They’re telling you exactly what to think, and why. And they don’t leave anything to mystery. And it almost insults people’s intelligence. And it doesn’t give you the ability to have your brain go off, and start firing creatively.”

In contrast, when discussing Greta Van Fleet's latest album The Battle at Garden's Gate, Kiszka said: “It’s kind of the story of mankind … we frame it in a different way, just so you can see it in a different way. The best thing we can hope for is [being] thought-provoking.”

Elsewhere in the conversation, Kiszka revealed the band is "pretty far into" their third album. “It’s like the whole concept of going back almost to the roots of what we did, kind of bringing our heads back to that garage time. And not spending all this time making it perfect," he said of the new music. "But just capturing what’s going on and … making it exciting and raw and energetic.”