Greta Van Fleet drummer Danny Wagner discussed Led Zeppelin comparisons in a new Drum Magazine interview. While his bandmates the Kiszka brothers have gotten annoyed by the comparisons in recent interviews, Wagner seems happy with the comparisons, and even admitted that John Bonham is his biggest drum influence along with The Beatles’ legendary drummer Ringo Starr. He said he ‘channeled’ Bonham, along with Starr, on “The Cold Wind.”
“I mean, if you’re going to be compared to somebody, Zeppelin is as good as any,” he reasons. “I’m a huge Zeppelin fan, and so are the other guys, so perhaps that’s our foundation. We just do our own thing while we wear our influences on our sleeves.”
John Bonham looms large for Wagner, who began playing drums in middle school, but so does Ringo Starr. “They’re my two biggest guys,” he says. “With Bonham, it was the way he could distill so many styles and make them sound straightforward. Even when he did something complex, it still felt simple. As for Ringo, he was just so creative and unique. Maybe it’s because he’s a lefty who played with his kit set up for a right-handed drummer. He came at his fills his own way.”
Greta Van Fleet recently won the Best Rock Album Grammy award, and they’re riding a huge wave of momentum after the success of their debut full length album Anthem of the Peaceful Army.
