Backstage with Iceland’s KALEO: An exclusive tour diary from the band

Since forming in Iceland’s Mossfellsbær in 2012, KALEO has emerged as one of the Nordic region’s most successful – and stylish – musical exports. While their earthy sound is firmly rooted in classic Americana, spectacular viral performance videos shot on nativeland volcanoes, glaciers, and cliffs are straight out of the Sagas.

Along the way, the chart-topping band – made up of lead vocalist, songwriter, and guitarist JJ Julius Son, drummer Davíd Antonsson, bassist Daníel Kristjánsson, lead guitarist Rubin Pollock, and harmonica/pedal steel player Thorleifur Gaukur Davidsson – have also won high-profile supporters. KALEO has shared the stage with The Rolling Stones on multiple occasions as their opener. Mick Jagger is even a fan after they worked together on the soundtrack for HBO’s Vinyl.

With a loyal following and over two billion streams on Spotify alone, KALEO's become known for spectacular headline shows spanning the globe. During a recent Las Vegas pitstop at the historic House of Blues, Vogue Scandinavia got the inside track from Julius Son and his stylist backstage as they readied his glittering performance ensemble – one of 93 outfits needed on this tour alone. We also got the fashion scoop on his other show looks and the art of dressing like a modern day rockstar.

“I love fashion and it's become a really important, but also fun, aspect of what I do,” says the KALEO frontman, who has the swagger to pull off increasingly expressive outfits that mix genres and provenance. Depending on his mood and location, his multi-layered performance fashion is as nuanced as KALEO’s sound. “We try to make it dynamic, as our music can go from a slow ballad into full on rock’n’roll,” Julius Son says. “You want to take the audience on a ride.”

On any given night, that ride might include locally-sourced vintage lederhosen, as it did for a recent gig in Munich, or reinterpreted staples from RRL (Ralph Lauren’s line of archival-style ready-to-wear), Saint Laurent silky shirting, extravagant Amiri denim, and custom western boots by Bowen Bootwear.

A few years ago, the band did a stint living in Austin, Texas, which was also influential stylistically and first exposed KALEO to the style codes that are now signature. Like his music, Julius Son is drawn to pieces that have a throwback quality. “Craftsmanship is really coming back,” he says. “I see it in the people making the hats or boots by hand in America. They put so much work into it. It’s not overproduced,” says the musician, who will take what little downtime he has between shows to discover local talents. “I’m drawn to working with designers who are going back to how things used to be made.”

After years on the road, multiple pandemic-induced tour delays brought Julius Son back to Iceland in 2020. He grew his hair out from an Elvis coif to a Jim Morrison shag, and held band rehearsals at Kiki, a beloved Reykjavik gay bar. “Hats off to them, everyone was super nice,” he says of the warm hospitality and support he feels when back home.

“Being able to work with some really talented people is inspiring,” Julius Son says backstage before soundcheck. “Like Greg Lauren, who still makes his things using old clothes and [upcycled fabrics], combining it all together with other elements. He’s so hands-on and involved. Hours before the LA show, he was painting my pants.” The nephew of Ralph Lauren also cloaked the lead singer’s mic stand in selvedge materials. “There's just something about his work that can't be replicated. And it provokes something in JJ’s personal style when you see him put on a Greg Lauren piece – it changes how he carries himself,” says stylist Audrey Brianne.

The fashion world is also waking up to Julius Son’s increasingly artful sartorialism. As the current campaign face of American menswear label John Varvatos, he’s plastered across storefronts and billboards. “He commands the stage with a confidence and ease that exemplifies the John Varvatos spirit,” says senior design director Spencer Moore. It’s a meaningful endorsement: the brand has a reputation for casting elite musical talent, with past Varvatos models including Lenny Kravitz, Jimmy Page and Iggy Pop.

“What I like about the fashion industry is the same as what I’m drawn to with music. I never like to box myself in,” says Julius Son. To that end, he’s been seeking to stand out more on and off the stage, with stacks of rings, talisman from his travels, and a mélange of grunge and glam tailoring. “I don't see a reason to paint in black and white if you can use any colour you want,” he says.

Indeed, the band’s peripatetic lifestyle and patchwork of influences has made their style differ from the typical dress code, on and off the stage. “I do dress very differently from the normal human being in Iceland, in Timberland boots and a parka,” Julius Son says. “I'm sometimes a bit of an alien in Iceland.”

His inclination towards adornment earned Julius Son the nickname ‘hrafn’ from his mother, which means ‘raven’ in Icelandic. “Ravens in Iceland are famous for loving everything shiny. I’ve always loved jewellery.” An assortment of heirloom, antique, and custom rings, with fine jewellery smattered from the likes of Jacquie Aiche and Loree Rodkin, add attitude to guitar licks.

But Scandinavia is where his heart still lies. To his delight, this tour also brought the band to Norway and Sweden’s Lollapalooza for the first time, in addition to Denmark, where they have a loyal fanbase.

“I love to be able to express myself, as does the rest of the band. On stage, we try not to clash or overly match, but it's not really been a problem. We’re each so individual,” he says.

Since first dressing the band for a late night television gig in 2016, the Los Angeles-based stylist, Audrey Brianne, has been an essential part of Team KALEO. From the Grammys to Julius Son’s recent engagement, she has been his style advisor for all the major milestones en route.

When it comes to selecting performance styles, Brianne is laser focused. “It has to empower JJ because he's sharing intense, emotional music. He's got an authenticity about him that we bring to his wardrobe. Hopefully we’re beginning to establish him as a fashion icon.” When it comes to the other bandmates, the goal is cohesion. “When they played Red Rocks, with that venue’s history, we wanted to put together looks that we're really proud of. The goal was to have fun and take risks.”

To that end, it’s important that the frontman’s look in particular continues to shapeshift. “Lately, I push JJ to try more oversized things. He's got a great physique, and we always like showing that off. I have to nudge a little bit because he doesn't want to feel like he's swallowed in it. It’s a balance.”

Brianne has travelled multiple times to Iceland on assignment and grasps how integral natural elements are to the band and their aesthetic. In particular, icy motifs are highly significant to Julius Son, as JJ’s full name is Jökull, meaning glacier in Icelandic. “When it comes to jewellery, we’re always bringing it back to that volcanic, glacier feel, with rough and raw cut materials,” she says of finishing touches. “Once we finalise his look, it’s always a moment. Any of my nerves that may have been there in the leadup are gone because he's in rockstar mode.”

For the Las Vegas show, the stylist knew it was time to try something wildly different and this came in the form of a crystallised Canadian tuxedo by Amiri. “What drew us to this denim look is that it's very blingy and Vegas appropriate. But it also lays the foundation for where JJ and I want to go next – things are gonna get a little fancier, a little funkier...”

As the tour continues through October, Brianne and Julius Son maintain a constant dialogue through moodboards for upcoming shows. References include Jim Morrison, new labels discovered on Instagram account Up Next Designer, and lots of Mick Jagger.

“What's nice is they now have a relationship,” she says of Julius Son and Jagger, “So, we’ve been able to examine [Jagger’s] wardrobe a little bit more up close and personal. Mick has a great sense of style. It's fun to see what he wears on stage and keep that in the back of our mind when we're doing our work.”

On any given day, celebrated milliner Nick Fouquet might be tending to the hat needs of clients including Lady Gaga, Pharrell Williams and Madonna direct from his Venice studio. “There's so many things that come into consideration and every musician is different. It's always important to understand their focus for a stage hat or a theatrical hat for performances,” Fouquet says. “It’s a balance of doing something special and not overpowering the persona while infusing personal elements that make the outfit seamless.”

They also share an effortless fashion sensibility that’s lived-in, never flashy. “I align with JJ stylistically because he intrinsically understands quality and craft,” says Fouquet. “He gravitates to pieces that are authentic and unique which is really the core of what we do.”

Fouquet even made him an original old school-style sombrero for when the band perform Hey Gringo. For the traditional creation, Fouquet went straight to the source, working with weavers near Leon, in Mexico. “They have huge brims and are a strong statement. We broke it down and built it back up to evoke a nomadic sombrero feel with casted pieces we made in house, leather accents, and heavy patina [as if it] had been with JJ for years. When he wears it, it creates a mythical vibe.”

Fouquet has yet to see his work in-person on the KALEO stage, though he often listens to their music to spark the imagination. “JJ has been inviting me to his shows, but I keep being out of town. I told him I'm gonna have to go to Iceland so he can play a private show for me at his local bar!"

KALEO’s Fight or Flight world tour is in support of their latest album, 2021’s Surface Sounds. For more information, visit here