Hot Gig Alert (9/11): KALEO make their return to Boston (Interview in Post with JJ!)
(photo courtesy of Vertigo Live)
This week truly seems like the kick-off to a wild fall filled with rock and roll in Boston, and we’re here for it. One show that should be on your radar is the Icelandic men in KALEO. First gaining fame in 2016, the band has relentlessly made sure their name stays known in Boston, most recently coming to Boston in 2022. And their upcoming show this Wednesday night at one of our favorites, Roadrunner, will surely be one for the books. The band has been steadily releasing new tunes, their first since their last full-length album release in 2021, and this will be their first chance to play them live in Boston. Roadrunner is home to a slew of insane shows this fall, and if you haven’t made it to this beauty of a venue yet, KALEO could be your first chance to do so. The venue will host everyone from Highly Suspect to Suki Waterhouse this fall and so much more.
Just a few days ago, I chatted with the band’s frontman, JJ, about how the tour was going so far, a little bit of his writing process, and the band’s focus for the next few months! Currently, in the midst of their most recent North American trek, the band is no stranger to some long treks on the road. Their first tour back after Covid consisted of the band taking on an insane 97 dates in 92 cities in 22 countries. A feat many could never even fathom! This year, JJ performed live at the Colosseum; the band played as direct support for The Rolling Stones and much more. Find our chat below with JJ; you can still scoop limited tickets here!
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New England Sounds: You’re in Minnesota about two weeks into your headline tour tonight. How have these shows been going so far for the band?
JJ: Yeah, it’s been great. It’s been a lot of shows. No, it’s been really good. I think we’re really dialed in at this point. We’re really excited to be on the road again.
NES: No, I’m sure. And you’ve had a bit of a wild year. You had a slew of dates across Europe; you opened for The Rolling Stones, and you played live at the Colosseum. What are one or two stand-out memories for you from this year so far?
JJ: Well, the Colosseum show was definitely a standout of a lifetime. But we obviously love Red Rocks, too, and that’s always a favorite. Probably those two, I would say.
NES: Those two, perfect. Then, this is to preview your show in Boston, which is the biggest venue you’ve played in Boston so far. Maybe how have you been kind of curating your sets? Like the focuses for these shows.
JJ: Yeah, I mean, we’re used to playing very big places—festivals, and like you said, with The Rolling Stones, etc. Honestly, I think we were made for those, but it’s also been nice. We already put out some new music this year. And we’re working on our album, which will come out soon, so it’s really nice to have those new tracks in there. I feel like the setlist becomes even more dynamic with those new tracks in there. And it’s always fun to play new songs.
NES: As you just said, you’ve released several singles this year. With “Lonely Cowboy,” that was kind of the first release for you since 2021. Maybe that song in particular; how long has that one been in the making for you? When did that one come together?
JJ: A lot of them have been in the making for a while, in my head, and that kind of stuff. So that one was quite a few years old, but yeah, that’s just how it goes. Sometimes, if you’ve seen our tour schedule, it’s also really like when do I have the time to go in and record because that is also time-consuming, especially because I take my time. But most of the songs I’ve been working on and crafting for a while, and then it’s really about dialing in and getting the arrangements done. And go cut those songs.
NES: You just mentioned it now, but from what I know, the album is in progress or finished. I’m sure you can’t say, but for you on this album, what was something new you tried in the process and maybe something you’re particularly proud of?
JJ: Well, I’m proud of all my work. I really go above and beyond to try to conserve each song and kind of explore sonically what I can do. Something new? I mean, I think I’m always trying to evolve. You know, the songs are very different, so when I kill some time and explore new things, on different ones, I need to mention maybe reggae. There’s a little bit of reggae flavor on a couple of tracks. And that’s maybe new for us, but as I said, we’ve been writing these songs for a long time. Just like before, I don’t really limit myself to genres. I just like to do different things and explore.
NES: Then you’ve been actively touring again since 2022. That year alone, I know you did 97 shows in 92 cities in 22 countries. You were touring last year; you’re in North America now. How do you think the touring climate has been impacted, for better or worse? Maybe things that you’re glad have changed when it comes to touring?
JJ: Yeah, that’s a great question, actually. We felt, coming back after Covid obviously, that there was a special energy going around. People hadn’t been to shows for a long time. No, it’s kind of back to normal, but maybe people have gone to too many shows now. It seems like everybody’s touring, and I think ticket sales are showing that. It’s becoming more difficult because everybody’s out there, and people are going to a lot of shows. Which I think is great, it’s positive, but understandably, the common man can’t go to a show every week. So, I mean, hopefully, that will work itself out. But I’m going to try to look at it in a positive way. I think it’s one of the things that won’t go away, and we felt during Covid that live shows are always going to be there. You can’t really replace that with live streaming, but whatever, there’s a true connection in going to a concert. So we just embrace that.
NES: I feel the same way. It’s so great to see everybody back on tour, but people will only have so much money and choices to make.
JJ: Right.
Well perfect, and then to end it off, maybe hopes or goals for these next few months as a band. As this tour continues, you’ve been working on new music.
JJ: Hopes and goals, I mean, yeah, we’re excited to come back to a lot of these cities. In the US and Canada, obviously, at the moment, that we pretty much haven’t been back to in two years, like you said, since probably 2022. And then, yeah, obviously, we’re excited to put out some new music. And see the response: We’ve been trying out a couple of tracks that aren’t out yet so the audience can see the response. It’s always a fun thing to do, too. So yeah, I think just keep going. The shows have been great. We’re also looking forward to Europe at the end of the year. And then we have a busy year coming up as well. We’ve already announced New Zealand for next year; we’ll keep traveling the world. And obviously, when you have new music to go with that, that’s really the best time.
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9/11: KALEO with Chance Peña/Roadrunner/Boston, MA
