Best friends since attending elementary school outside of Reykjavík , lead singer/rhythm guitarist Jökull Júlíusson (also known as JJ), drummer David Antonsson, and bassist Daniel Kristjansson began playing together at the age of 17 before adding lead guitarist Rubin Pollock to the mix in 2012. They named the band Kaleo, which means “the voice” in Hawaiian , and started their career with a handful of well-received shows at the 2012 Iceland Airwaves music festival , which was the band’s first major public appearance. Kaleo gained fame after covering the song “Vor í Vaglaskógi” which received heavy rotation on Icelandic state broadcaster RÚV ‘s radio station Rás 2 and was featured on the station’s top 10 list. This song is also featured in the first episode of the TV series Trapped (2015). By year’s end, Kaleo had signed with Sena, the country’s main record label. Their self-titled debut went gold in their home country, spawning five number-one hits and inspiring their first European tour.
Formation and debut at Iceland Airwaves
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