How The Beatles Inspired Greta Van Fleet’s ‘Starcatcher’
Whenever someone says that the classic rock sound is dead, another band comes around to try and bring it back. Greta Van Fleet’s Starcatcher album was inspired by the music of The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, and Led Zeppelin. The record was also connected to the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll himself, Elvis Presley.
Greta Van Fleet’s ‘Starcatcher’ uses some of The Beatles’ 1960s and 1970s techniques
Greta Van Fleet is possibly the modern band that’s most inspired by the rock music of the 1960s and 1970s. They’ve been compared to Led Zeppelin by critics and fans over and over. During a 2023 interview with Forbes, Greta Van Fleet’s Sam Kiszka discussed working on the album Starcatcher. He said producer Dave Cobb used many of the same recording techniques The Beatles utilized in the 1960s and 1970s. Greta Van Fleet’s Josh Kiszka said Cobb’s style was a big influence on the sound of Starcatcher.
“I think just the way that [Cobb] actually captured the album is the way that we’ve always wanted to hear ourselves because it’s the way that we hear like The Rolling Stones or The Beatles or Led Zeppelin but with modern technology,” Sam said. “So we’re using pretty much ancient recording techniques but also with modern technology and getting just really great s***. So it’s utilizing the technology of today.”
The Beatles aren’t the only classic rock icons connected to Greta Van Fleet’s new album
Sam revealed Starcatcher had other connections to rock ‘n’ roll history. “We also used a lot of the room sound from historic air quotes, RCA Studio A,” he said. RCA Victor was the label of Elvis Presley and numerous other stars, so RCA Studio A has an incredible history.
“Dolly Parton cut a bunch of stuff there and Chet Atkins and all these very revered players, artists, all kinds of stuff,” Sam added. “So using the sound of that room on the record, what I feel is very important to the sonic quality of what’s going on.”
Josh was highly satisfied with Starcatcher. “We feel that it’s the best-sounding record we’ve made,” he said. “We’re really satisfied, right?”
‘Starcatcher’ hit the top 10 on the charts in the United States and the United Kingdom
Greta Van Fleet’s Starcatcher reached No. 8 on the Billboard 200 and stayed on the chart for a pair of weeks. The album became the band’s third record to hit the top 10, after Anthem of the Peaceful Army and The Battle at Garden’s Gate. None of Greta Van Fleet’s singles have charted in the U.S.
Greta Van Fleet admittedly drew inspiration from several British Invasion bands for Starcatcher, so it’s interesting to see how the record performed on the charts in the United Kingdom. According to The Official Charts Company, the record reached No. 8 and remained on the chart for a single week. None of Greta Van Fleet’s singles have charted in the U.K. either.
The British Invasion stopped decades ago but Greta Van Fleet’s Starcatcher is helping keep it alive.
