“Little things that make you smile, dancing barefoot in the dark. If only I had strength to change your mind, Oh for what you need, you will not seek. Choose your words before you speak. Can you see that all you’ve got is time?”
There is true beauty in a band that can layer a southern rock sound with a rich Icelandic heritage, over silky guitar riffs and smooth (sometimes falsetto) vocals. Scrimshaw recently got the opportunity to photograph the band, Kaleo, in all their rock and roll glory at their recent concert between Coachella performances. Outside of the fact that Kaleo, as a whole, embodies the true masculine handsomeness of a modern day rock band, it is their crisp sound and talent range that makes them truly impressive.
Kaleo is made up of front man JJ Julius Son, drummer David Antonsson, bassist Daniel Kristjansson, and lead guitarist Rubin Pollock. They hail from Iceland and draw inspiration from American blues and classic southern rock. This may be why their recent studio album, A/B, is such a creative ode to the band’s style.
When listening closely, their first half of the album has a heavier rock influence (which they absolutely ripped in concert) where the second half of the album is more acoustic oriented. This plays into the title, A/B, and how it’s meant to be listened to on vinyl, where each side has a different feel.
Besides the fact that Kaleo is the PERFECT spring/summer outdoors music, they are a must see in concert. They were full of electricity and left everything they had on stage. If the fact that the front row was filled with gorgeous women singing along to every single song doesn’t get you to this concert, then take comfort in the band’s ability to seamlessly transition between rocking blues and lyrically gorgeous acoustic songs. Kaleo is the real deal, so go plug in those headphones, crank the volume up high and join us…oh Way Down we Go.
