<![CDATA[The (Unofficial) Kaleo Fan Club - Blog]]>Mon, 06 Apr 2026 12:19:52 -0700Weebly<![CDATA[Kaleo watercolor art by Antoine Blois]]>Mon, 07 Jul 2025 13:19:38 GMThttps://www.unofficialkaleo.com/blog/kaleo-watercolor-art-by-antoine-blois
Picture
Picture
Picture
You can visit Antoine on his Instagram page @antoineblois or his Etsy shop ArtbyAntoineB
]]><![CDATA[Experience Kaleo with Mayela in México]]>Sun, 18 May 2025 10:46:37 GMThttps://www.unofficialkaleo.com/blog/experience-kaleo-with-mayela-in-mexico
Picture
Picture
“JJ was awesome and played Automobile during the pre-show. After that, as we waited for the band to go out, they were recording fans listening to unreleased songs and filming our reactions. ​
Picture
Picture
You can follow Mayela on Instagram @mayelamartinezt
]]><![CDATA[Fan experience from Nick Dempsey in Melbourne]]>Fri, 14 Mar 2025 08:30:12 GMThttps://www.unofficialkaleo.com/blog/fan-experience-from-nick-dempsey-in-melbourne"I got into Kaleo back in 2019 when I was trying to discover new music. I discovered them the same week 'Surface Sounds' was released worldwide, so I had already listened to songs from A/B, and then listened to all of Surface Sounds the same week after that. I listened to every song whilst I travelled on public transport to work.
I was pretty depressed at the time and was trying to use music as a reason to stay on this Earth. I'm fine now, but I wasn't okay mentally back when I discovered them. Most of their songs made me feel like I wasn't alone during my situation at that time. 'I Can't Go On Without You' is a song I listened to when my best friend passed away from sleep apnea at the age of 20. 'All The Pretty Girls' got me through immense feelings of loneliness; it's a song I want played at my funeral. 
Kaleo is a band that helped heal me because the lyrics hit so deep.  His music means so much to me, it was therapy when I could afford therapy, and was the music that helped me get through my best friend's death and so much more. With their meaningful lyrics and amazing music, there's not one bad song they've made, and it's all helped me get through life.
Picture
Nick with VIP lanyard signed by JJ, Feb 2025
The Payback Tour, Palais Theatre,  Melbourne, Australia (18 Feb 2025)

​This was my first Kaleo concert!  I only have one picture of me and a few videos recorded with a Samsung, but that's about it. We waited a few years for them to finally tour here after having played at a music festival several years ago (at Byron Bay Bluesfest 2023). 
In Melbourne Australia, either most people ether haven't heard of them or don't like that style of music. So most people who went to the Kaleo concert were music-orientated, or had good taste in music.  I just don't understand why Kaleo is so underrated. I love their music and have listened to every single song; their music is real music. This band means the world to me."

​
You can follow Nick on Instagram @dem121251
]]><![CDATA[Photos from Sydney by photographer Jordan Newton]]>Tue, 25 Feb 2025 16:11:09 GMThttps://www.unofficialkaleo.com/blog/photos-from-sydney-by-photographer-jordan-newtonKaleo performed in Australia for a few dates as part of the Payback Tour, and we're lucky to have had a front row view from their show in Sydney! Photographer Jordan Newton was granted access to the Sydney Opera House on 20 February 2025, and wanted to share these photos of Kaleo with the fandom, all shot with Nikon Z Fc and Z5 cameras.

​"My favourite moment from the concert was of Kaleo performing 'No Good'. 

The whole crowd was stomping their feet and clapping their hands while JJ​ belted out with his delta blues raspy voice -- it was like going to gospel on a Sunday."
"As you know, we come from Iceland. It's currently winter there, so we gratefully enjoyed spending time here in the Australian Summer" - Jökull Júlíusson

"I was first introduced to KALEO with the release of 'Logan' (the film) with its Wild Western themes mixed into Marvel Comics. I then heard a bit more of KALEO on the radio with tracks like Broken Bones, Automobile and No Good".




​His favorite photo of the night?

"I was greatfully pleased with this image
I captured. Reminded me of Stevie Ray Vaughan and
​films like High Plains Drifter and Unforgiven."
You can read follow Jordan on Instagram @jordan_newton95
and also read his official concert review with more photos here: 
​​
REVIEW+ GALLERY: KALEO Live at Sydney Opera House Concert Hall 20/2/2025
]]><![CDATA[JJ inspired art by Haylee Turner]]>Mon, 01 Apr 2024 10:17:59 GMThttps://www.unofficialkaleo.com/blog/jj-inspired-art-by-haylee-turnerI’ve been a fan of the band for a while now, and I had been wanting to try drawing real people rather than objects. When I was thinking about it, I immediately thought to draw the band! I started out by drawing JJ, but I’m currently working on drawing the others as well. I didn’t use many materials, just regular cartridge paper, B, 3B and 6B pencils, and a blending stump. I don’t have a lot of social media, but I am on tiktok @strawberrytunes_1.

Hi! My name is Haylee Turner, I'm from North Carolina, and I have some fan art that I would like to share. I thought it would be cool to share them.

These paintings are actually based off of KALEO’s new song, Lonely Cowboy. Seeing the cover art of the song really inspired me, and I wanted to try to recreate it from my perspective. One is supposed to be similar to the cover art, and the other is a bit more abstract, but has the same idea to it.

That’s all, thanks!
​See more of Hayley's art at https://vm.tiktok.com/ZGeaVMkvE/
]]><![CDATA["Kaleo: Live at the National 8/15/22" - Original Artwork by Pearce Landfear]]>Mon, 26 Jun 2023 09:58:53 GMThttps://www.unofficialkaleo.com/blog/untitled-kaleo-artwork-by-pearce-landfear
Picture
"I started this series of posters to document concerts I had been to. I try to capture specific moments I remember from the show and only go from memory or from references I took from the show I attended."


Artist Pearce Landfear was standing just one row from the front when he went to see Kaleo on 15 August 2022. His sister was the one who got him into them, and he repaid her by taking her to see them at The National in Richmond, Virginia for her first ever concert! This piece was inspired by his experience from that concert. 
"My sister introduced me to Kaleo when I was in high school and I hated them. I was listening to hair metal bands at the time and thought they were too alternative. Flash forward to college, I started listening to them again and wham! 2nd favorite band ever. The only reason Led Zeppelin still has the lead is because Kaleo only has the 2 (3-ish) albums.
A guitarist I am friends with asked me what sound I wanted when playing guitar. I really didn’t have an answer for him. Like Stevie Ray Vaughan is my favorite guitarist but I don't really want his sound. There was a sound in my head and I didn’t quite know what it was. When I started listening to Kaleo it clicked. They have really cool acoustic parts, cool crunchy electric parts that get very rock and roll but not too heavy.
JJ's voice is just incredible. His range and the bluesy rasp is just gorgeous. It’s interesting. As I have gone to learn their songs on guitar, they are pretty easy. They (for the most part) use the very simple chords (Am, Em, G, C, D) but it shows how crazy talented and tasteful they are because each song is super intricate and different sounding from the last.


​
​Just the best band ever.
About the artwork:
The background is composed of the set list from that exact show as well. I start with a pencil sketch layout, ink the drawing, and then make shapes with a lot of texture to use as clipping masks for the color and shading. The style of these pieces is heavy on grain and texture and primarily uses gradients for shading and lighting. 
​This was just a personal project because I wanted a tangible way to remember the concerts I had been to. You know the high right after a concert? And after like 2 weeks you can’t quite describe how good it was and remember it feeling awesome, but kind of forget why? This way I can remember specific aspects of it. "
You can see more of Pearce's artwork at https://www.landfeardesigns.com/
]]><![CDATA[Live drawing of JJ by artist Anthony Lister]]>Tue, 25 Apr 2023 10:21:05 GMThttps://www.unofficialkaleo.com/blog/live-drawing-of-jj-by-artist-anthony-lister
Picture
Earlier this month, Kaleo was in Sydney for the Australia/New Zealand leg of their 2023 tour. Local superstar artist ANTHONY LISTER happened to be in the studio with JJ and did a live drawing while he strummed away on his guitar. We were lucky enough to get a closer view of Anthony's live drawing, using a 2B lead pencil -- including a look at the completed pieces!
Picture
Picture
Drawn with 2B lead pencil in April 2023 at a studio visit during the @officialkaleo tour in Sydney, Australia. We want to give the most ENORMOUS fist pump and a huge thank you to the incredible artist that is Anthony Lister. He graciously shared this video -- and also all of the finished drawings! -- to share with all of us in the Kaleo fandom.

To see more of Anthony's art, visit his YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/@ANTHONYLISTERartist
Picture
From his bio:  Anthony Lister combines a dialogue of traditional technique from old masters with the free-hand, open minded spontaneous signature style he pioneered through his street art hometown roots. The results are dark undertones that cloud the artist's luscious characters, constructed from a harmony of daring brush strokes and a bold color palette. Loaded with nearly uncontrollable energy Lister brings his ominous figures to life within each composition. He is regularly referred to as "Australia's best contemporary artist".
Are you absolutely loving this style?
You can find Anthony's art for sale at  www.listerdangerzone.com or stand out in "our ugly clothes" at www.letirs.com -- and if you've got any questions or special requests, send a message to findmrlister@gmail.com.
Picture
]]><![CDATA[INSIGHT ON THE LIMITED EDITION RED ROCKS POSTER]]>Wed, 08 Jun 2022 22:34:20 GMThttps://www.unofficialkaleo.com/blog/insight-on-the-limited-edition-red-rocks-poster
Picture
The four runes in the corners stand for Courage, Energy, Grace, and Love
"We went with the idea of overlaying the band's energy source over the location's energy source, by painting the rocks as ice and filling the amphitheater with flowing lava. That's how [the poster design] happened!"
James A. Willis is the artist behind the traveling Kaleo guitar case, several of their custom-painted guitars, and also of the exclusive limited edition poster handed out to premium ticket holders at their Red Rocks concert on May 16, 2022. Only 350 total posters were printed, using offset lithography.
"When J.J. and I first talked about doing this poster, we knew it needed to be a special one. There are so many epic Red Rocks posters and I really wanted this one to be different, so right out of the gate I decided to hand paint the entire poster (including the fonts)."
Picture
James is a classically trained painter, and also the inaugural artist in residence at Gibson custom. His Instagram @jamesawillisartist features more of his original designs for various artists, and his handle reads: 'Artist. Hired Gun. Drifter. Time Traveller. Nashville/NYC. I make most of this stuff.'
You can also go to his website jamesawillis.com or visit him on his social media pages as follows:
]]><![CDATA[ROKA ROCKS!]]>Wed, 09 Dec 2020 21:12:52 GMThttps://www.unofficialkaleo.com/blog/roka-rocksIllustrator and Draw-tographer Diane Roka now has Merch!

OG followers of this site will know that she saw Kaleo back in September of 2015 and drew them each individually while playing live! She's put them together on both a sweatshirt and pillowcase so you can have the whole band together -- but if you want to see them on any other merch, just let her know! If you’d like Diane Roka to create a personalized drawing for your merchandise design, you can contact her through her website: dianeroka.com or DM on Instagram: @dianeroka
For the month of December, Customized Girl is offering 15% off of your entire order, plus free shipping for all orders over $70. Time for holiday shopping! VISIT --> https://www.customizedgirl.com/s/rokarocks
Diane Roka's signature artwork and original portraits are now available on clothing and specialty items, with an emphasis on the bands and musicians she captures during live shows. If you don't see your favorite @DianeRoka illustration, special orders can be made. Contact her through her website: dianeroka.com or DM on Instagram: @dianeroka
]]><![CDATA[Meet Algerian band NOMADIX]]>Sat, 09 May 2020 01:41:58 GMThttps://www.unofficialkaleo.com/blog/meet-algerian-band-nomadix

Vocalist Sidali Zaid reached out to me on Instagram about featuring his band Nomadix covering Kaleo's new song "Break My Baby" -- which we of course said yes to! We love a good #KaleoCover. Meet the band members from Amizour in Kabylia, Algeria:
SIDALI ZAIDI (ace) @sidali_zd_: vocals / guitar
Picture
MOHAMMED SAID MERZEG @aya_berka: bass guitar

ADEL ABDELLI @adel_abd75: solo guitar 
SIDALI WRITES: Alors on est un groupe de musiciens originaires de kabylie, Amizour plus exactement, constitué de : Sidali Zaïdi (moi même) (voix principale et guitare) Adel Abdelli (guitare solo et voix) Mohammed Saïd Merzeg (guitare basse et voix) pour l'instant nous sommes 3  (nous cherchons encore un batteur à l'heure actuelle), on partage un réel amour pour la musique, le rock le blues, le reggae et pleins d'autres styles, nous nous considérons avant tout comme étant des artistes, avant d'être musiciens

Car nous aimons réellement cela, je suis moi même un grand fan de kaleo, à mon avis c'est l'un des meilleurs groupes de l'histoire, et ma chanson préférée du groupe est "I can't go on without you", mais j'aime aussi une chanson qui n'est pas très connue, " that's all how it feels". On espère avoir un jour l'opportunité de les rencontrer et peut être même de travailler avec eux

Nous avons créé notre page sur facebook NOMADIX aussi si vous voulez voir !
Alors on est un groupe de musiciens originaires de kabylie, Amizour plus exactement, constitué de : Sidali Zaïdi (moi même) (voix principale et guitare) Adel Abdelli (guitare solo et voix) Mohammed Saïd Merzeg (guitare basse et voix) pour l'instant nous sommes 3  (nous cherchons encore un batteur à l'heure actuelle), on partage un réel amour pour la musique, le rock le blues, le reggae et pleins d'autres styles, nous nous considérons avant tout comme étant des artistes, avant d'être musiciensCar nous aimons réellement cela, je suis moi même un grand fan de kaleo, à mon avis c'est l'un des meilleurs groupes de l'histoire, et ma chanson préférée du groupe est "I can't go on without you", mais j'aime aussi une chanson qui n'est pas très connue, " that's all how it feels". On espère avoir un jour l'opportunité de les rencontrer et peut être même de travailler avec euxNous avons créé notre page sur facebook NOMADIX aussi si vous voulez voir !
]]>