In the summer of 2012, four young boys were searching for a name to call themselves after booking their first gig: the annual Auto Fest in Frankenmuth, Michigan. The moment came to them when brothers Josh, Jake, and Sam Kiszka were sitting in their garage waiting for their then drummer, Kyle Hauck. It was when Hauck’s grandfather dropped him off and said he was going to cut wood for Gretna Van Fleet that Josh Kiszka came up with an idea—By dropping the ‘n” from Gretna, the boys had found their new name: Greta Van Fleet.
So who is Gretna Van Fleet? The 88-year-old resident of Frankenmuth is a retired medical secretary who also has experience playing music; though her taste leans towards classical and old pop standards. The Detroit Free Press recently caught up with Van Fleet and she told them “It’s not my favorite music, and the boys know that but I think they’re very talented, and I support them.” She also added that her favorite GVF song is “Flower Power.”
Van Fleet has become just as big a name as the band itself in their small hometown whose population is just that of 5,000 people; “Every day, out in town, somebody will stop me. People are so excited to meet me.”
Greta Van Fleet’s debut full-length album, Anthem Of The Peaceful Army, was released on October of last year to coincide with Gretna Van Fleet’s 88th birthday. That night, the town of Frankenmuth threw a party that doubled as a record-release bash and a birthday celebration.
“I thought it was funny,” said Van Fleet. “I didn’t think it would last long — they wouldn’t hang on to this crazy name.” But it’s obvious that the Grammy-nominated rock ‘n’ roll band is not changing it anytime soon as their fame (and name) continues to grow.
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