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Iceland's KALEO make soulful blues- and folk-infused anthems centered on lead singer Jökull Júlíusson's smoky vocals. Since emerging to viral fame in 2012 with their song "Vor í Vaglaskógi," they have earned a global audience, drawing favorable comparisons to artists like Hozier and Ray LaMontagne. The band's debut, 2013's KALEO, was a break-out success, spawning several more hits that went gold. They gained wider attention with their 2016 sophomore album, A/B, which cracked the Billboard 200. A bigger, more rock-driven sound characterized KALEO's chart-topping 2021 release Surface Sounds. The acoustic stand-alone single "Lonesome Cowboy" arrived in early 2024.

Formed in 2012 in the town of Mosfellsbær, just outside of Reykjavík, KALEO (a Hawaiian word that translates to "the sound") originally featured childhood friends Jökull Júlíusson (vocals, guitar), Davíð Antonsson (drums), and Daníel Ægir Kristjánsson (bass). They began playing together as teenagers, later adding guitarist Rubin Pollock to the mix. Inspired by a blend of blues, folk, country, and rock, they made their live debut in 2012 at the Icelandic Airwaves music festival and recorded their first singles the following year. Their live radio performance of the traditional Icelandic tune "Vor í Vaglaskógi" became a surprise regional hit, and the video went viral in 2013. By year's end, KALEO had signed with Sena, the country's largest record label. Their debut, 2013's eponymous KALEO, went gold in their home country, spawning five number one hits and inspiring their first European tour.

The release of their introspective acoustic single "All the Pretty Girls" in 2014 became a turning point for the band, and before long KALEO had signed with Atlantic in the U.S. and relocated to Austin, Texas, where they began working on material for their next release and touring North America. A pair of new singles arrived in 2015 as the group found their footing in the States. The inclusion of "Way Down We Go" in an episode of NBC's Blindspot garnered KALEO nationwide exposure, as did a promo spot for the song "No Good," which was featured on the trailer for the HBO series Vinyl. Another single, "I Can't Go on Without You," arrived in early 2016. Their international debut album, A/B, was released later that summer and landed at number 16 on the Billboard 200.

In 2020, KALEO returned with the singles "I Want More" and "Break My Baby" which foreshadowed the more overt rock & roll style of their third album, Surface Sounds. Delayed by the global pandemic, the record was eventually released in April 2021 and became their first to top the Icelandic pop chart. Three years passed before KALEO issued new music, which came in the form of the rustic 2024 single "Lonesome Cowboy." ~ Timothy Monger