You're The One

Well now, Zoo Freaks, if you've got your ears tuned into the freeform vibes spinning over at THE ZOO, then you already know the Crew has dropped the needle on something special from Greta Van Fleet. We're talking about "You're The One," that heartfelt rock ballad off their debut full-length Anthem of the Peaceful Army. This one comes across a little more laid-back and melodic than some of the band's harder-charging numbers, with clean guitar tones, a steady mid-tempo groove, and some sweet organ work underneath from bassist Sam Kiszka that really lets the soul of the track breathe. It's the kind of song that feels like it could sit right alongside those classic folk-tinged moments from the late sixties and early seventies without ever losing its rock and roll edge.

Here's a bit of the backstory that makes this cut even more interesting. Guitarist Jake Kiszka has shared in interviews that "You're The One" is actually the oldest song that made it onto the album. The twins Jake and Josh Kiszka wrote it way back in 2013 when they were just seventeen years old. Around that time the brothers were digging deep into the sixties folk revival, pulling inspiration from Bob Dylan, The Band, Joni Mitchell, and Joan Baez. Jake has talked about how those folk elements surrounded the song from the start, giving it that pastoral, storytelling quality that stands out on the record. The band had been playing it live for years as a way to take the energy down a notch during shows, but when they went into the studio for Anthem of the Peaceful Army they restructured it and had to work hard to get it sounding just right. It was released as the second single in October 2018, just days before the album hit, and it went on to hit number one on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Songs chart.

The song also has some memorable moments from the road and the stage. Before it was even out as a single, Greta Van Fleet performed it live in March 2018 with Elton John at his annual benefit for the Elton John AIDS Foundation. Elton had reached out personally after hearing the band, calling their sound the best rock and roll he'd heard in twenty years, and he joined them onstage for "You're The One" along with his own "Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting." Josh later said he could die in peace after that jam. Then in January 2019 the band brought the song to Saturday Night Live, performing it alongside "Black Smoke Rising" in their debut on the show. Those moments helped cement the track as a fan favorite that shows a different side of the group while still carrying that classic rock spirit the Zoo Crew loves to spin.

All of this makes a lot of sense once you hear how Greta Van Fleet got their start. The band formed in 2012 in the small town of Frankenmuth, Michigan, known as Little Bavaria. Twin brothers Josh on vocals and Jake on guitar, along with their younger brother Sam on bass and keyboards, started jamming in the family garage with their friend Kyle Hauck on drums. Jake had been playing guitar since he was crawling around as a kid, picking up one of his father's instruments and never putting it down. Their dad was a blues harmonica player who kept a big vinyl collection of blues, folk, roots music, and more, and the brothers grew up rifling through those records and learning from the real deal. Creating a band had always been Jake's dream, and practicing in the garage felt organic and natural. The name came about when Hauck mentioned a local resident named Gretna Van Fleet; the guys dropped the "n" so it rolled off the tongue easier, and she later gave her blessing to the variation.

By 2013 Danny Wagner had stepped in on drums, locking in the lineup that remains to this day. Early on they recorded some tracks including "Highway Tune," whose riff Jake had been working on as far back as 2010, and they played long sets in local bars mixing covers with originals. They never expected it to go far beyond having fun and jamming. A Detroit-area producer named Al Sutton took them under his wing at Rustbelt Studios, helping them learn the studio side of things over a couple of years. That led to connections with management and eventually a deal with Lava Records under Jason Flom. Their 2017 EP Black Smoke Rising, anchored by "Highway Tune," broke them through, especially after the song appeared on the Showtime series Shameless. From there the double EP From the Fires and then the full Anthem of the Peaceful Army in 2018 took them from garage band kids to Grammy-nominated headliners who could hold their own with legends like Elton John.

You can dig deeper into everything Greta Van Fleet has going on at their official website gretavanfleet.com, where you'll find updates, tour info, and their catalog including Anthem of the Peaceful Army. Keep up with the latest posts and photos over on their official Facebook page at facebook.com/gretavanfleet, their Instagram at instagram.com/gretavanfleet, and their X account at x.com/GretaVanFleet. Fans have also built some solid communities, including the Greta Van Fleet Army group on Facebook at facebook.com/groups/GretaVanFleetArmy and the Greta Van Fleet Fan Group at facebook.com/groups/GretaVanFleet, where people share stories, setlists, and that shared love for the music. Spinning tracks like "You're The One" reminds us why these guys connected so hard with listeners looking for real rock and roll rooted in the classics. The Zoo Crew will keep the vinyl turning and the stories flowing for all you Zoo Freaks out there.