Jake Kiszka: The Guitar Wizard Redefining His Own Rules

Photo credit: MOONBASE PHOTOGRAPHY

CONTRIBUTING EDITOR | GUITAR THRILLS MAGAZINE TAMPA, FL U.S.A.

Sophia Radisch

Sophia Radisch (b. July 6,1998) is a Canadian rocker, singer-songwriter, recording artist and musician. She garnered recognition by the epic and legendary Guitar Player Magazine, and is celebrated in their “50 Year Celebration December 2017 Holiday Issue”. She is a contributing editor for Guitar Thrills Magazine. She has been granted an author credit in Canadian Musician Magazine, where her guitar column “Finding Your Passion” is featured in the March/April 2018 edition. She is a panelist for Canadian Musician Magazine’s guitar feature “The Young Guns” in the May/June 2018 issue. Sophia attended Canadian Music Week 2018, as a part of NWC’s Canadian Musician Magazine team. Sophia has worked and recorded live off the floor with Grammy Award Winning Producer, Rob Fraboni (The Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan). She has collaborated with Grammy Award Winning Producer, Narada Michael Walden (Whitney Houston, Mariah Carey). She is a Gibson Guitar, Orange Amps, and GHS Strings endorsee. She is sponsored by American Hat Makers; styled by Ruby Roxanne Designs and Adam Rose Tattoo.

C0 - EDITOR I EDWARD SCHOOLEY I GUITAR THRILLS MAGAZINE

There are guitar players, and then there are guitar players who make you stop and listen.

Jake Kiszka has spent years proving that the electric guitar can still command attention in a world increasingly crowded with noise. As the guitarist and creative force behind Greta Van Fleet, Kiszka has developed a sound that reaches backward without becoming trapped in the past drawing from the language of classic rock while pushing it somewhere distinctly his own. His playing is powerful, expressive, unpredictable when it needs to be, and, above all, unmistakably Jake.

But there is more to Kiszka than the riffs, the solos, and the undeniable stage presence. He is a musician who thinks beyond the obvious. With Mirador, that instinct takes another turn, revealing a different side of his musical imagination and a willingness to step outside the expectations that come with being the guitarist of one of rock's most talked-about bands.

That is what makes a conversation with Jake Kiszka particularly interesting. He isn't simply looking backward at what made rock guitar great. He is taking those influences, experiences, and instincts and asking what comes next.

Guitar Thrills Magazine sat down with Jake Kiszka to talk about Greta Van Fleet, Mirador, the guitar, the creative process, and what happens when a musician refuses to stand still.

INTERVIEW WITH JAKE KISZKA AND SOPHIA RADISCH GUITAR THRILLS MAGAZINE

Sophia: Hi Rock King Kiszka! I'm so incredibly honoured and thrilled to speak with you today!

Jake: Lovely to see you! Beautiful face! 

Sophia: Thank you! You have a beautiful face too, and you're a hard rock and blues rock legend! You're living the dream! You've already won a Grammy Award for Best Rock Album! Staggering success for you and your legendary band, Greta Van Fleet! Congratulations, Jake! 

Jake: Why thank you so very much, Sophia! 

Sophia: You’re most welcome! You're releasing your 4th studio album, Palace For The People, coming October 9th, 2026! The rock 'n' roll world is feverishly awaiting this release, since your last studio album, Starcatcher, in 2023.  And, this past summer, you released two tracks off your upcoming new album, Palace For The People. LOVE it! Your PR stunt, for the single, "Play Your Games," was genius! It sure got our attention! 

Jake: Hahaha! Thanks! 

Sophia: Your band break up "tease" sparked fan panic when you guys posted nostalgic tour footage, and the quote, "Thanks for the wild ride...Love Josh, Jake, Sam and Daniel." And... we later found out that it was a clever marketing tease, using the song's opening lyrics! Thank God! 

Jake:  Yeah! Haha! 

Sophia: Your second single released only days later, "Saw You Stand," is red hot! You're on fire again, Jake! The streams, and on-line reaction to this single is massive! Killer Rock Ballad!  What can we expect to hear on this new album? And can you share any rockstar stories from the creative process from when you were writing and/or recording your record?

Jake:  Yeah! Absolutely! You know, we're always getting up to some shits aren't we, and probably scared some people half to death haha! But you know, all in good fun. But yeah, I think it's interesting! "Play Your Games" and "Saw You Stand" couldn't be two more opposite songs. There's quite a stark contrast between the two and that was kind of the point. It's quite dynamic. "Play Your Games" is quite a reverent sort of playful song. That was something that we had written maybe a decade ago. Really! When we were a bunch of kids, you can hear that energy on it, which is kind of why we brought it onto the record. 

Because it was like. yeah, this sort of re-imagining of that essence! And the record needed that, but also just a reminder that life is beautiful and it can be equally as beautiful as a surrender in this playful energy! "Saw You Stand" is the contrast! It has more of a serious, heartfelt and heavy weight vibe. Ultimately, to answer your question... sorry! Hahaha! All of that and everything in between. There's a lot of different types of songs on this record!  

Sophia: Thanks for that Jake! That is such a beautiful answer. I'm in awe! You're an immense talent, and you're so well spoken! Damn! A true poet!  There are millions of GVF fans, songwriters and musicians who look to you for inspiration! Thanks to you Jake, GUITAR is alive and thriving! Since your last GVF album, you released a debut album with your new band, Mirador! And Mirador has opened for Greta Van Fleet! That's brilliant! Super charged, powerhouse concerts! The energy must be transcendent!  

Jake: Absolutely! That's the thing! There's another story being told in some ways! That is certainly one thing. But, at the core function of both bands, it's like, there's the guitar! The heralded wise old prophetic instrument! That's the archetype of rock 'n 'roll. This instrument is so powerful and important to that genre, specifically. It is the tool of my storytelling. So, I fell into that and it's been a great deal, an honour in so many ways, to see that response! To see the world turn their heads and to see a whole new generation picking up the guitar and playing it because they heard a Greta Van Fleet song, or a Mirador song, or whatever it may be! Just to be a part of that human story and lineage. It's quite humbling and it's a great honour for me. That's another grand reason for me to do it! To inspire! 

Sophia: Exactly! You've got it, Jake! How are you balancing the two bands, and how do both musical styles feed you as an artist? What's the major artistic difference working with Greta Van Fleet as compared to Mirador? 

Jake: It's exciting! Obviously, two very different projects. Both collaborative! Greta Van Fleet's new record Palace For The People is a lifetime in the making because it's my collective experience, along with all my brothers, and where we came from. We recently took a year and a half to two years off, and it was quite intentional! We were kind of being brutalised and beaten down by the road after almost a decade, which was beautiful and frenetic and wild. So, I think it was kind of an intentional moment to step back. And, I guess in some ways, in retrospect or intrinsically, we were kind of like taking a moment to realize what had happened to us and what we had seen. 

It was a whole world of experiences! People, places, things, ideas, cultures, philosophies. It was this beautiful explosion! Being in those places and seeing the immensity of it all! We have had a unique honour to experience that stuff at such a young age. It was really a story to be told. I think ultimately that that's what we took away, was that Palace For The People, the record, would be a love story for the world. And speaking musically, when I get with Greta Van Fleet and my brothers, it's a very different sort of process. It's a very different musical exploration. We've covered a lot of ground. So, there's an evolution to that. I think we're at a certain place where that dictates what we're gonna do and how I'm gonna play the guitar and how I'm gonna approach songwriting. Mirador is a bit of a different thing because it's obviously quite new, and there's a lot of new material I couldn't cover with Greta. I can explore that range with Mirador, and vice versa. So, it's extremely exciting! 

Sophia: You're ridin' the wave, King! You're a rock 'n' roll machine!

Jake: Hahaha I'll take it! I'll take that shit! 

Sophia: Hahaha! Cool. You deserve it! I'm absolutely enamoured with your new band Mirador! You and Chris Turpin are both killer guitar wizards! Your sound is both nostalgic and revolutionary. Masters of your instruments. And both your vocals are top tier too! So, here you are, once again, after your Greta Van Fleet breakout single in 2017, exploding onto the scene with a new band, and sound! - Mirador. So epic! And Mirador has just recently released an EP this past Spring, "The Gathering at Badon Hill".  Your sound is intoxicating! truly! 

Please tell your fans how Mirador came to be. What's the origin story of Mirador?

Jake: It was some time ago now. This project had been brewing under the storm of business and life. I remember Ida Mae was a name that came across the desk when we were determining openers for Greta. We were always quite hands on with that, as music lovers and appreciators! And so, I heard Ida Mae, which you know, is Chris and Stephanie Turpin. I knew this was gonna be the thing! So, I brought this to the guys and said look, there might be some other options here, but I stand firmly that this must be one of the groups we take out on the road with us! So, there wasn't much argument. They agreed! 

It felt amazing because I thought what they were doing was mesmerizing! What struck me the most, immediately, was Chris's guitar playing. Strictly because there's a certain nuance and approach to guitar playing that expresses a feeling and attitude. It's difficult to express, I guess, verbally. But there's a certain way of playing that lets you understand the language of someone's musical history. The way I can hear all the blues records he grew up with, which were the same ones that I grew up with. And all the very similar influences! 

As well, there’s a truth and honesty and a purity to his playing.  What he's doing is quite honourable! I was taken by that. And I think secretly, like two schoolboys in some ways, he was a little shy of me as well.  Admiring my playing from afar! So, at some point, we came together and became great friends. It kind of went from there! And, over the years it slowly developed into what it is now! 

Sophia: That's such a beautiful story. And so inspirational for musicians. That's how it should be. It happened so organically. So naturally, like a divine intervention. A call and transmit! 

Jake: Absolutely! That's a great way to put it! 

Sophia: This past April 23, 2026 (I think on your 30th birthday!) you showcased your new Gibson Jake Kiszka SG Standard Signature Guitar! Is this right? 

Jake: Yeah! That's an exciting story. Gibson sort of came to me. They said that they hadn't really done this sort of thing yet. They asked me if I'd be interested in designing a signature model, and that they'd love to develop one with me! Obviously, it's a high honour to be recognized in that way and considering the mighty and historic reverence of Gibson, I said, YES! Hahaha! Absolutely. we'll figure out the details later! Again, it was a high honour. Over time, I was working with Matt Collar, the historian at Gibson, Cesar, and the engineers. It proved to be a remarkable project! Because again, I'm sort of a guitar nerd myself... Umm hahaha! 

Sophia: Just a little bit! Hahaha! 

Jake: Yeah! It was fascinating to create and to see everything that nobody else would ever be able to see. And in some ways, I got to invent. The creation was a giant thing! It was like inventing a new guitar! 

The whole philosophy behind that guitar was really to honour the original Les Paul SG. The first of those body styles! Which you know, is the beloved #1 that I play most often! It's sort of an homage to that! We did some innovative stuff! Nerdy stuff haha! But ultimately, it was a paradigm or duality between honouring a historical item of the past and being able to innovate it and reinvent it for modern times. So, it was a blast! 

Sophia: It sounds like an absolute honour and thrill! Such a blast! So, I'm curious. How long did the entire process take? Was there a lot of back and forth between you and the engineers? How does creating your own signature guitar go down? 

Jake: Yeah! I mean, there's probably like 10 prototypes! Haha! It was a lot of back and forth. It was interesting because Gibson was saying, if we do these things, we can have your guitar ready in a year. But there were certain shortcuts I didn't wanna take. Again, I don't know. But my philosophy was that I had as much time as needed. I think it's more important to get it right. It probably went from a year to being more like a two-and-a-half-year process. Getting every detail together. But you know, I think when you really zoom in on something that intently, and admire every aspect and detail of it, you’re kind of entering another zone of detail orientation and hyper fixation. That's what it felt like for me. It's an intense process, for sure.

For example, the finish that was put on the guitar is a super thin coating of a traditional finish, which is not polyurethane. So, the guitar itself will age and wear, and the colour will fade. It was all intentional, to age quite quickly with the player, so that the player leaves their mark on the guitar. 

Like, if you scratch the plate, or if you play left-handed, the pick you use, or the unique position you take...It's like... The guitar will age rapidly to the player. And that's my favourite thing! That synthesis between the man and the machine. When the player becomes integrated into the guitar and the guitar becomes integrated with the player. 

So, for me, that was a huge aspect of designing the guitar. Quite interesting, right? I've not heard of that being done before. It was all those details that made the guitar design a bit more special and elaborate for sure. What will be interesting to see is what these guitars look like in five to ten years from now!?

Sophia: Woah! Yeah! That just gave me chills! 

Jake: Hahaha! Cool! Love that! 

Sophia: Thanks for that incredible explanation, Jake! It really tells the story and illustrates your experience and the creative process of your fabulous guitar! Can you please tell Guitar Thrills Magazine how you use your guitars in both bands? Like, what would be the main difference in your guitar sound?

Jake: That's cool! That's a tough one to answer. A very good question. It really depends on the scenario! I think both bands are very different, and the scenarios are very different. With Greta, I'm the sole guitar player. I've written all those guitar parts and all those solos and all those songs. So, it's kind of like, you know, I have a bit more room in terms of guitar playing, to sort of spread out. 

It's important to say that my guitar playing wouldn't be nearly as good if I wasn't playing with such proficient and incredible musicians. I would honestly say that with Greta and Mirador, they're some of my favourite musicians to listen to and play with. I have the honour to play with them in my bands! So, I guess it's kind of a lucky scenario. 

But whether it be by design or by accident, I'm able to spread out guitar with Greta, and I get to layer a bunch and try new things. 

In Mirador, there are two guitar players! So, it becomes more of a collaborative effort. Specifically, the guitar playing. It's a bit different of a process with the songwriting. Sometimes, I lean more into singing as well! So, there's a different dimension when there are two guitar players and two singers. Chris and I are sharing the duties! It's kinda interesting because I find myself playing a lot less! Hahaha! I don't really have to play the rhythm parts. In Greta, live or on record, I'm playing rhythm and lead and all of it! 

Sophia: Brilliant! That's why you're such a dynamic success! Your energy is contagious and you love what you do! You're a legend at it!  have one final question, rock star Jake! 

Jake: Aww! We'll have to talk again at some point! 

Sophia: For sure! Thanks Jake. I will most definitely take you up on that! To digress, hahaha, your parents must be so proud of you guys! Three rock stars in one family! That's so unique and unheard of. I don't think that's ever happened before! Hahaha! So, how do they handle three rockstar sons? Hahaha?

Jake: They're probably pulling their hair out, and they'll probably see an early grave! Hahaha! But, for sure, it's a beautiful concept. I think there's a great deal of pride. Especially, coming from a small town! Like you said, it's a unique scenario! 

But yeah! I think it was growing up in a household with a different philosophy than most. And artistically, enrapturing! In a way that, I think, you know, in some ways is affirmation for our parents. Like, they didn't screw it up too badly or make the wrong decisions! hahaha! Or, they didn't discipline us enough or whatever it might be! The course that we were destined to be on was the right path. And yeah! Props! They're proud of that! 

Sophia: Magical! Thanks for taking the time to chat with me today, Jake!  It's such an immense guitar thrill! And we can't wait to hear what's coming next for Greta Van Fleet and Mirador!

The sky's the limit Jake! Your destiny is most definitely written in the stars. Hold on tight! It's a rock 'n' roller coaster ride when you're Jake Kiszka!

Jake: Thank you as well, Sophia! Incredible interview. You're so amazing! Let's do another one again sometime! 

Sophia: ABSOLUTELY! Let's do it! Thanks so very much, Jake! I'm so very honoured and humbled! I think you're amazing! I'm forever a fan!

The Knaggs Steve Stevens Signature Guitar

A RECAP OF WHAT YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED

• The Tone Revolution: Premium possibilities without the premium priceOctober 26, 2026
• Jake Kiszka: The Guitar Wizard Redefining His Own RulesOctober 26, 2026
• Dirty Laundry: Don Henley Saw the Problem. We Made It Bigger.October 22, 2026
• Evan Nicole Bell on Breaking Expectations and Creating Her Own PathOctober 19, 2026