This month our NOV ISSUE #119 is cover star Grammy Nominated singer/songwriter, and producer JJ Julius Son of KALEO. We have enjoyed the blues/rock band that is known for their hit song, Way Down We Go. In addition to his touring around the world, making new music, and staying inspired, this creative is also involved in an array of collaborations that continue to expand his brand and entrepreneurial interests.

We sat down with him to talk about his latest album, Mixed Emotions, his creative process, upcoming music performances, his recent drop of his wine Hot Blood with Maison Wessman, his cigar with Kingmakers, and his jewelry and hat collab with Clocks + Colours.

ATHLEISURE MAG: What was the first song that made you fall in love with music?

JJ JULIUS SON: That’s a really good question, but hard to tell. I mean, I can’t say that I probably remember much, you know just being, I guess, very young in being affected by music - all the way from the Disney songs and through my upbringing, you know? My father is a big Beatles fan. I think that has affected me quite a bit, you know? So, yeah, I would like to say that I’m grateful for my parent’s music tastes in general, so I think that that is important and helps as well.

AM: When did you first connect with music in terms of starting to play instruments? We always love when we hear that someone’s a singer-songwriter, and they also play instruments.

JJJS: I think it was kind of dabbling. We did have a piano at home and then around 7 or 8, started studying thanks to my mom. She helped me do lessons and you know, like everyone else, I just studied classical music, which was great, but I think you know, reading music, obviously helps, you learn to get familiar with the instrument, but once I really started like playing stuff that I was hearing on the radio and more so playing by ear is when I think I really connected with that being something. It’s like a new dimension, I think when you really are able to express something from within, rather than playing sheet music from paper.

AM: When did you realize that you wanted to be a musician?

JJJS: I’m still realizing, I guess! It isn’t really something that you kind of set out to do for a living. I come from a place where I’m a realist, and it’s very rare that anybody can live off music, and it is for sure a challenge still. Especially in this day and age.

AM: Oh yeah.

JJJS: You know, being a musician, it was not really something that I set out to do. I mean, I was signed up for the University twice, but that’s exactly when things started getting busy, and I’ve kind of been on this roller coaster for about a decade now ever since we moved to the US. I guess I got serious about music around my Early 20s, I would say. But I mean, not really. I don’t know how to explain how it really became serious, but the income, I guess, was sufficient enough to live off of it. Then things just happened really, really fast, and it’s kind of a snowball that’s, you know, kept rolling since then.

AM: We remember when we first heard the song, Way Down We Go. It was such a visceral reaction to this song that had the perfect blues rock aesthetic to it. There are a number of elements to love about the song. How did you guys come together as a band?

JJJS: The majority - like 3 of us, we were in school together in this small town that we’re from outside of Reykjavik in Iceland. It’s called Mosfellsbaer, and it’s a 20-30 minute drive from the capitol. It’s kind of in the countryside, a small town. We have a different school system, but it was like a high school and we were there together. I’d been writing songs for a while, and we started jamming together. I said that we should start a band and we’re still here.

So my bass player and my drummer, we’ve been together since we were 18 and we were in school together since we were 14.

AM: Oh wow, that’s very cool!

JJJS: So it’s very cool and it has been a long time. I think what brought us together is really just the joint interest of just loving classic rock in general. Which I would say comes from our parents because they were born in the 50s and 60s. When you think of 60s music, it’s rock and that was everything they would listen to and I think that we were affected by that.

AM: What would you say the Kaleo sound is if you had to define it?

JJJS: Well, hopefully, not a distinctive sound. I hope to be evolving and growing, but I mean, if I had to name genres and influences - I think Blues is a good one. I love Soul music. I think my classical background kind of comes through in my arrangement when I’m arranging strings and orchestras and stuff. So, I think I take inspirations from everything. It’s just like, art in general. It’s when it makes you feel something is when I’m affected, and I can get obsessed with really anything if it makes me feel something. I take inspiration from a lot of stuff. I love Cuban music, Reggae music, and I think it’s about trying to explore a little bit more. Recently, I’ve been dabbling with Disco and Reggae on the last few albums. There’s a there’s a a bunch of stuff that I do want to explore. I think it’s important to keep evolving. I don’t like doing the same thing every time, so all my albums are quite dynamic. If you have to describe the sound, I would hope that maybe the word dynamic would would come up, like at our live shows. I like to make waves. I prefer to have dynamics within the music and everything.

AM: Going back to Way Down We Go, what was the process in creating that iconic song? There’s everything in the song that’s just so right, but how was it to bring it all of the components together as it seems so intricate?

JJJS: Yeah, not really. To me, it’s kind of just like a Blues song. I wrote it like an acapella Blues song. It’s definitely like many of my songs, I just take my time to craft it.

AM: Right.

JJJS: The intro, for example, I didn’t add until the song was ready. I said that I really wanted an intro on it and I added it later. It was this string version and piano part in the beginning - so it’s kind of layered. But, I think in general, I would say it’s kind of like a very Mississippi Blues song that we just went to the studio and I had it with this strong drum and bass sound which is almost like a Hip-Hop thing which I enjoy as well. You know, for me, I like the 90s Hip-Hop stuff, which is still just like sampling some really good James Brown drums and stuff. So there are elements and it has proven itself over and over again that a really good song can kind of be played in so many ways. So that’s always the challenge. I mean, I find songwriting very natural and kind of easy, and one of my favorite things to do is just writing songs because you can be just playful with it. And it kind of comes natural, but then you have to put on your producer hat and you can take it in so many ways, so that’s kind of the challenge every time.

AM: Well, you also filmed the video for this song in a volcano! Who thought of that and what was that like, like? I can’t even imagine storyboarding that concept and bringing it to life!

JJJS: That was great and it was one of our first videos. We tend to do these live performance videos out in nature, like we did the Colosseum last year and I was able to go in there. That’s one of my favorite things to do. It’s kind of like performance art because, you know, we’re either going in these special locations in our home country, in nature - we played on Glacier Lagoon on an iceberg and this macro chamber - the volcano. It was amazing. I mean, the reverb in general was just really special for the echo in. I think that’s kind of the biggest part sonically of that video. These are usually challenging. We have to find sources for electricity and everything.

AM: Right.

JJJS: We are playing it live. Thankfully, I think Nat Geo - National Geographic, they had already installed some electricity down there, so we were able to make use of that for the amplifiers and stuff. It takes a long time. It took us about 24 hours just to get the drum set down there and all the crew and people. It’s a small elevator that goes down into that chamber. It takes about 10 minutes each ride and only holds about five people.

AM: Oh my God!

JJJS: It’s always an adventure! It’s one of my favorite things to do. I hope we can keep doing those videos. It’s really something that I enjoy.

AM: As a singer/songwriter, and producer, where do you start creatively in the process when it comes to creating your music?

JJJS: I try not to force it at all. It’s kind of like, you know, whether it’s playing piano, getting into a flow state - obviously guitar, it’s become my main instrument these days. It’s easy when you’re traveling this much and touring. It can be as simple as driving around, and you kind of get an idea or this melody in your head. I think for me, it’s kind of melody first. I enjoy lyrics, obviously. I kind of have to enjoy the melody to get excited about stuff, so that’s my priority. It’s really different for me. Sometimes, especially with the narrative, you’re making up a story in your mind. It could be a western - Spaghetti Western - a whole movie in your head, and you’re making it up or sometimes, you’re actually talking about a personal experience, you know? Or sometimes, you actually want to get political and direct. I like those things the same with the music. I like doing different things and that’s the same with the narrative and the lyrics. The storytelling can be daydreaming or you actually have something to say. I think it’s nice to be able to do both.

AM: Obviously, you’re constantly creating music, and going to amazing venues. You just dropped Mixed Emotions this summer and performed at Red Rocks and BottleRock in Napa. Tell us about this album, which we’ve enjoyed listening to it, but would love to hear more about it from you.

JJJS: Yeah, it’s just interesting, you know, being a musician today, still making albums. I don’t know if it’s really a mainstream thing anymore. It seems like we’ve almost gone back to the 40s and 50s, where singles are kind of the thing which is cool, but I definitely come from a place where I still have the R\romantic idea of a concept album, and I still enjoy making albums. So, I’m one of those artists and I really do put a lot of myself into each and every one. So it takes me a while. It’s usually like 3, 4 or 5 years to make an album. So, it’s an interesting time like I said for being that kind of artist in today’s day and age. It really means a lot when people connect with it. I’m just really thankful for being able to do this. And, like, you said, you know, we get to travel the world, and you know, it’s one of the most. I guess the gratitude, and like the most satisfaction, is really when you put out this music, and then you go visit places and there’s thousands of people that know your songs, and they sing them back to you. It’s truly special. For us, when you go to a country like Turkey for the first time and 8,000 people are singing your songs, so I don’t really know if if there’s a bigger high than that.

I do love albums, and I want to continue making them. You know, I would love obviously to go mainstream again, but I can’t promise you that it will, but it’s something that you know, I just really enjoy. So I’m gonna just continue focusing on that.

AM: You’re constantly on tour. Are there things that you enjoy doing before you hit the stage, to get into the right headspace? Are there things that you do once you come off stage after having all of that energy and excitement just to put yourself back to a neutral level?

JJJS: For sure. I have been doing this for a long time now. It took me awhile to just get used to the tour life. I mean, your immune system - it took me years to kind of grow stamina for that kind of lifestyle, because it is, you’re on the road a lot. You’re flying a lot, you know? So, yeah, it took me a couple years for my immune system to get adjusted. You kind of get addicted to going on stage with that adrenaline and the dopamine. So, I guess the challenge is kind of coming off stage, because sometimes you’re going on late, and then you have to, try to go to bed on a rolling bus, which can be challenging.

AM: Exactly

JJJS: My routine before I go on stage is obviously, I’m a singer so, I have to warm up properly and take care of my instrument and everything. So that’s kind of a routine and I’m a routine guy because I like the structure which helps me quite a bit. So there’s nothing that I go that superstitious or anything.

AM: Just a regular guy here!

JJJS: Right! I make sure I get my food 2 hours before, so I don’t have acid reflux or anything. It’s just basic stuff, but it’s also like I sometimes use that time when I’m warming up, getting ready for a show and I can use it to get into a flow state and just write if I’m in the mood.

AM: Well, during this time of year, even though we’re excited about the Holiday season, we also start thinking about the upcoming Spring and Summer in terms of festivals and concerts. Are there any that we can let our community at Athleisure Mag know about?

JJJS: Great question. We’re kind of taking a break for the first time in, like 3.5 years.

AM: Oh wow.

JJJS: We’ve kind of been just rolling since the pandemic. So, I know that we will be doing a big tour in America and Europe next year. But I’m going to try to kind of use the first couple months of the year and get back into the studio and writing some stuff. We didn’t really get a chance with the new album this year when it came out in terms of doing a big tour. We did do Red Rocks and several shows.

I’m excited to be able to take the new songs on the road.

AM: Here at Athleisure Mag, we’re always interested to hear about workouts or studio fitness that our favorites are doing that we could incorporate into our fitness routines. What do you do to stay in shape?

JJJS: I’m a big Fitness guy actually. I mean, I lift weights since I, I was a big soccer fan and a soccer player when I was growing up, just like everyone in Iceland. When I quit soccer around 16, you know, I decided not to go professional, and I switched to music a lot. I started lifting weights. I like to get away for an hour or 90 minutes a day, and it’s kind of helped me a lot, especially on the road. It’s more like, meditating for me. I kind of get to do my own thing away from everyone and it’s something I really enjoy and it has changed a lot. I remember, like, 12 years ago, starting out it was sometimes hard to find gyms, but now thankfully, every hotel has a gym. It’s very easy to find and I would say that I do this every day pretty much.

AM: We know that you enjoy fine wine, and now you have one of your latest projects with Maison Wessman with Hot Blood. How did this come together, and what was that process like for you?

JJJS: I enjoyed wine for a long time. When it comes to spirits, I think it’s just the most romantic one. There’s something really romantic about wine. Technically, you could grow wine in a greenhouse, but it’s not very sexy. It’s very romantic to obviously do it in France or Italy or whatever it is and they’ve been doing that for thousands of years. So it’s always something I’ve enjoyed, and I like growing my palette and trying different things. So I like to try wine when I’m in different countries.

This kind of fell into my lap. They reached out to me about 2 years ago and I was obviously intrigued. So, I went out there and I got to be involved in making the blends. Robert, he’s owned this place for about 20 years. I mean, it’s very surreal and basically, has a castle from the 1100s in the South of France. I think it’s the third oldest castle in France. So, it’s really something special and it’s easy to fall in love, with that region and the whole saga of it all. And then it turns out, you know, that me and Robert have become really good friends, and he’s from the same hometown as me.

AM: Which is amazing.

JJJS: Yeah, which our hometown is honestly very, very small, so we connected over that and we connected over music. He’s been a fan of the band for a long time. We’ve played for him several times including his wedding a while ago and everything. This is the first time that we really got to know each other. To find out that we’re more connected than we even thought, is amazing.

AM: That definitely had to be a surprise especially because of the size of your town!

JJJS: Yeah, truly! He’s doing amazing things in his field. We’re doing very different things, but we obviously connect over music and wine. This is a huge passion of his as well, and it was so easy to say yes. After I got to know him and see that, you know, he’s kind of like me. I mean, he’s an all or nothing kind of a guy. He puts his heart in the things that he does, so it’s really enjoyable. I think we’re gonna make more wine and he’s been supporting us in a lot of things. Both of us are kind of like supporting our soccer team in our hometown right now. That’s also grown into something that we’re both trying to help out as well. So it’s really cool.

AM: That’s amazing. How long did it take to bring these wines forward from, concepting it to being able for us to enjoy it.

JJJS: Honestly, not long. I mean, you know, we chose, we did blind tasting, and we both picked the blends that we liked, and we had very similar tastes. So that was a really fun process. Then you know, just coming up with ideas. We have this fun thing where I have a QR code on the bottle. There’s a teaser, to the song that I have, which is called One More Glass of Wine and I haven’t recorded it yet. So it’s fun that they have pre-access to the song. We’re, trying to come up with fun stuff like that.

Then I call the better bottles, Raven’s Blood and White Raven. And the Raven is kind of like a very strong Nordic mythology in Iceland. It’s really fun. I enjoyed that process as well, so I’m thankful to have the creative access to also be very involved in all that stuff.

AM: So basically, right now, there are 4 bottles that people can enjoy. That’s amazing. And can you tell us because you told us a little bit about White Raven and Raven Blood. What are the other two bottles like?

JJJS: Basically, we would consider them to be the top shelf that we do, because the Raven Blood and White Raven, both of them - we do oak for them for 11 to 18 months. So you kind of get more flavor and more prestige, I would say. But in general, the Hot Blood and the White Blood, bottles, we have a little bit of Malbec in the red wine. They’re kind of meant to be, an easy drinking wine.

AM: Right.

JJJS: I think it pairs well with food, obviously. I just really wanted to make a very affordable wine, but still, great wine. I’ve really enjoyed getting to know the region, Bergerac in the South of France. It’s next to Bordeaux. I don’t think people know that it’s basically the same soil as the Bordeaux wines.

AM: Oh wow!

JJJS: Yeah. So, it’s kind of like a hidden secret. People are very like familiar with it in France, but I think that outside of France, they don’t and, and it’s just such a beautiful area. We’ve talked about maybe doing a Harvest Festival out there, hopefully maybe next year. It’s fun to be able to bring attention to the region and everything.

AM: That sounds great! I know you were recently in Bergerac, Maison Wessman’s estate to taste and blend the wines. What was that, like, and what did you learn from that hands-on experience?

JJJS: It’s really special. I get to go there at least once a year. You know, you do the blends for every vintage and everything. It’s tough to beat. Especially being from Iceland, you know, we have 8 months of Winter going out there in the Fall or in the Spring is truly nice as the weather is nice, obviously. It’s a beautiful place and it’s just really fun. It’s really interesting to visit the wineries around there, and it’s just totally a different world. The people are so engaged, and crafting this thing that is wine that they have been just doing for, you know, generation after generation, which is really impressive. It’s really fun to be a small part of it.

AM: You’re a phenomenal artist and you have this wine company that you’re involved which that’s amazing. In preparation for this interview, we know that you’re truly an entrepreneur who’s expanding his portfolio, because you have your collaboration with Kingmakers. How did this come about and what do you love about cigars?

JJJS: That’s another thing that I’ve kind of enjoyed for a long time. I can’t say that, I’m a purist when it comes to cigars. I mean, there are definitely people who have, you know, smoked several a day and everything. That’s not my style. It’s kind of more like the same way I treat alcohol, you know? It’s, more of a celebration or a thing I like to do when I’m, just enjoying life and when I’m taking some time for myself. That’s kind of the same with cigars. I’ve never smoke cigarettes. Never done any drugs or anything, but it’s kind of like something that I’ve enjoyed through people that I met. A cigar is more like a dessert to me. It’s really something that I enjoy, and I like pairing it with wine, or you know, tequila, or something.

Yeah, that’s another thing. Like, I said, there’s also just like the romance of it. The Cubans, for generations have been rolling it and it’s part of their lifestyle. It’s just really fun. Being a guy from Iceland and same with the music. You know, people would probably argue, you know, that, I play the Blues - this African-American thing, and I’m here from a small island in in the North Atlantic Ocean, you know?

I’m kind of tapping into these other worlds just being. You know, tapping into this this world of, you know, Southern France with the wine or the, cigars are made in Nicaragua. It’s just really enjoyable, you know, and it fits well with what I’m doing musically, just taking, you know, tapping into these different genres and music that comes from all over the world. right? At the end of the day, what makes a great musician? I would say, first and foremost, is just the fact that you’re a fan – actually, it’s your taste in music. The reason you want to write this kind of song or approach anything is, I think, to begin with, you know. It’s because you, like, whatever you do, like and it comes down to your taste. You have to make a choice when you’re writing and making music as well. There’s so many options. You have to limit it down and make a choice, so I think it all comes down to your taste in general. I guess there’s similarities with what I’m doing with the wine and cigars and then the music in that way.

AM: You have great style. You can see it when you’re looking through your IG seeing your jewelry and tapestry pieces for your outfits, etc. Going back to collaborations, you have one with Clocks and Colours. Why did you want to do that, and how did that come about?

JJJS: That was kind of the one of the first, collabs that I indulged in. I have always been - my mom calls me a peacock. I have always enjoyed jewelry and nice clothing. It’s a creative outlet for me and it’s that creative force that I can also connect with. It finds its way to the music, the wine, and the cigars.

In terms of the style part, it’s fun, it’s living and I can take inspiration because I get to travel this much. So again, I get to hear when I go abroad, and I go to these new places. The first thing I do is, I ask the locals to show me some traditional music, because I think that’s so strong. The same same for Icelandic music. We’ve been living here for 1100 years or something, which is a miracle on its own, especially without electricity back in the day. Some of the traditional stuff like the music lives on so strongly. But at the same time, there’s the food, music and then style. So that’s that’s another kind of creative outlet. Living in the US a lot for the last decade is also fun seeing young people kind of going back to the old – handmade and crafting. So that kind of just really been fun. And I’ve gotten to meet so many people that are doing amazing things.

AM: When it comes to collaborating in general, what is it that you look for in terms of synergies between yourself and the interested brand?

JJJS: I mean, I would say it has to feel authentic. Those are the things that I seek out to work with or friends or people that are true to their art. I just know what it takes, especially being a musician myself. I know the time that goes into having an idea and the final outcome, there’s a long way especially for me. It has to be something that makes sense for me and if it’s a product, I need to be able to stand behind it or that I would wear it. I’ve said no to a lot of things. I just don’t really believe in putting your face or your handprint on something that you know isn’t right.

AM: Last year, you played yourself on The Bold and the Beautiful. Many of our readers and community grew up watching The Bold and the Beautiful. What was that like, and will we see you acting in the future?

JJJS: Yeah, it was fun. It was insane, like my grandma would watch that show! It was more fun than anything else. They were so nice and it was so interesting being on that show. I can’t believe how they memorize their lines and everything. I was struggling with just what I had to do! It was enjoyable to see people in that field. I think it has to be one of the best schools for an actor to do. I mean they’re shooting several episodes a day. It was very impressive to see how it all came together. It was more fun than anything else. I can’t say that I consider myself to be an actor to take other people’s work. I would probably dabble more with writing or directing. I do love movies and it’s kind of like music to me – in some ways I think that it is starting to become a lost art. They’re not as many movies being made and obviously, the movie theaters are going out of business. It’s the same with album sales and we’re in the same boat in a way.

I have always loved movies and I grew up loving Batman and James Bond and I would get totally obsessed with these things. Having met some directors, I connected with them in a lot of ways. Because I write all my music on my own and produce it and everything - I’m very Hands-On, so I definitely connect with some directors in that way. If I have the option in the future, I would love to to be involved in in some way, but not as an actor. I respect actors a lot and I think it’s phenomenal when people can do that on a high level.

AM: You’re always traveling. And when you’re back home in Iceland, what would we find you doing when you’re just taking time away from the projects that you’re working on?

JJJS: Coming home, especially being from Iceland, it’s such a small community and a small country that when you live abroad, you quickly find that it’s just something that really has a pull to come back. My whole family, and friends are here. I enjoy coming back when I have the time, to see my people, my friends, etc. We go snowmobiling on the glaciers or we go into the Highlands. It’s truly a unique country and we take it for granted sometimes. I have made friends all over the world now. I just came from Rome. I’m a Godfather to my friend’s son in Rome. So, I get to meet all these people around the world that I love. I still love bringing them to Iceland and one of the big things is truly just introducing them to all my friends and family here. I have a really strong relationship with my folks back here.

AM: Are there any upcoming projects in general that we should keep an eye out for that you know you want us to know about?

JJJS: I mean, yeah, we’re gonna go do a very special show in Iceland, actually. Last year, we played a show in Iceland. That was the first one we did in 10 years, and we did it in this forest in the North, and now we are going to do this once in a lifetime event in our national park that’s usually off limits. People don’t really do events there, but we’ve been able to persuade them to let us do this event. We’re hoping to do a big, show there. It would be great to bring other Icelandic artists and do this very unique event, so that’ll be next summer, In Iceland in the National Park. The national park is located in between the two tectonic plates - the European and the American, so we’re basically in between the 2 continents, so it’s very special.

AM: That sounds amazing.

I mean, when you think about your legacy, what do you want people to walk away, thinking about?

JJJS: I guess, my goal to be very honest is just making timeless music that can live on. I’m first and foremost, just such a fan, of music, and great art that has been made in the past. It’s really something I live for. I strive to hopefully, have my own imprint on that and then make something that’s worthwhile and can live on. I try to make music that you can listen to now or in 50 years. That’s kind of the goal - quality over quantity.

@julius_son

@officialkaleo

PHOTO CREDIT | FRONT/BACK COVER, PG 16 - 37 + 44 - 51 Justin Pagano | PG 38 - 43 Jon From Iceland |