With a Hawaiin name that translates to “the sound”, Kaleo is bringing a revitalized tune to the folk-rock scene. The 2012-formed quartet hails from Mosfellsbær, Iceland and is composed of members Jökull Júlíusson, Davíð Antonsson, Daníel Ægir Kristjánsson, and Rubin Pollock.
Kaleo's songs could be described as soul-filled mixture of alternative rock with folk. Although there are no bands directly in the same category, Kaleo has been compared to Hozier, Vance Joy and Of Monsters and Men.
In 2013 the quartet signed with Iceland’s largest record label, Sena. Once Kaleo began turning international heads, the group signed with the American record label Atlantic. Atlantic is known for artists Coldplay, Bruno Mars, Ed Sheeran, and many other notable artists.
This irresistible band is climbing the music charts. Their most played song is “All the Pretty Girls” with over 28 million plays on Spotify and their second “Way Down We Go” with over 24 million.
The group’s international debut album, “A/B,” released June 10th this year. The release followed two of their biggest exposure opportunities. The first was a feature of the song “Way Down We Go” in NBC’s "Blindspot." The second was a feature of “No Good” in HBO’s Vinyl. These publicity opportunities helped surge album sales.
The band collaborated with The Head and the Heart and rising artist Brett Dennan at The Head and the Heart Tour this summer. Kaleo will take off on their first international tour this fall. The Handprint Tour will begin mid September and finish in Europe at the end of December.
To find out more information on the band, check out their official website!
