Greta Van Fleet rose in Frankenmuth, Michigan, in 2012, formed by the Kiszka brothers Josh, Jake, and Sam. Their friend Danny Wagner joined them on drums. While the band became known for their music over the years, their fourth sibling, Veronica ‘Ronnie’ Kiszka, stayed out of the spotlight.
The Kiszka Brothers And Their Successful Career
Jake Kiszka decided to follow his dream of starting a band with his brothers, Josh and Sam, after several garage jam sessions with Kyle Hauck in their hometown. Five years later, Greta Van Fleet signed a deal with Lava records, according to Blabbermouth, and released their debut EP, ‘Black Smoke Rising,’ topping the Billboard US Mainstream Rock and Active Rock charts for four weeks with their first single, ‘Highway Tune.’
In 2019, their second EP, ‘From the Fires,’ won a Grammy Award for Best Rock Album while their latest record, ‘Starcatcher,’ released in July 2023, sold 46,000 units in its first week and entered the US Billboard 200 at number eight, (per Billboard).
The Lesser-Known Kiszka Sister
Among that success, Ronnie, unlike her brothers, didn’t pursue a public life. The Kiszkas rarely talked about her during interviews though Sam once revealed to Song River (via Alternative Nation) that “she’s older than me and younger than Josh and Jake. Compared to most people, we have a smaller family, we know everyone on our mom’s side. We always joke that Danny has family everywhere, he’s got like three-to-four trillion cousins, uncles, aunts, random family in random places.” He also has a younger sister, Josie.
He further shared, “Veronica, in Hawaii, is learning to dive. Our entire family is adventurous, we’re always going out doing things, we strive for bigger success, no settling. We’re not the kind of people who would be satisfied working normal job hours, we like to make our own rules.” The same year, Alternative Nation reported that Veronica shared a photo of her swimming in a pool online and looked quite athletic in it.
The Price Of Her Family’s Fame
Despite keeping a low profile, Veronica has been a subject of interest among some Greta Van Fleet fans. Reports surfaced on Reddit about fans stalking her in their hometown of Frankenmuth. A user wrote that someone showed up uninvited at the Kiszka sister’s workplace to take pictures of her.
While some criticized the act in the replies, a person familiar with the incident explained, “This story is overblown. The fan attended a show by Papa Kiszka, Ronnie’s father, and later went to the restaurant where Ronnie works. It was a positive interaction, not stalking.” Papa Kiszka is the Greta Van Fleet members’ father, Kelly, who is also a Michigan-based musician (per Rock Era Insider).