Foo Fighters frontman Dave Grohl recently discussed his daughter Violet‘s emerging music career, emphasizing his deliberate decision to step back and let her navigate the industry independently.
During an interview with host Kat Corbett on SiriusXM‘s “Lithium“, the veteran musician explained how his daughter developed her musical abilities entirely on her own.
“ With Violet, I knew that she had a beautiful voice and had amazing pitch and sang with depth and something beyond just the sound of it. There was a lot of feeling to what she would sing, when she was, like, eight years old. And then as she got older, maybe around 13, she’s, like, ‘Hey, I wanna make a record.’ And I said, ‘Okay, well, you have to write songs.’ And I didn’t tell her how to do it. I think I gave her, like, a pen and a notebook, and I said, ‘Just start writing stuff.’ And she did. And she taught herself all of the instruments that she plays by ear and just learned in her bedroom. There were times where I’d walk downstairs and pick up a guitar it’d be in some freaky tuning, and I’m, like, ‘What is this tuning?’ And she’d say, ‘Oh, that’s a Joni Mitchell tuning.’ And I’m, like, ‘Really?’ She goes, ‘Yeah, check it out.’ And then she starts doing this intricate Joni fingerpicking thing, where I’m, like, ‘Where the f**k did you learn how to do that?’ And she was kind of woodshedding in her bedroom,” he explained (via Blabbermouth).
He further noted his desire to avoid interfering with her creative process once she began working professionally:
“She wanted to leave school to play music. I was, like, ‘Just stick through it. Stay in school.’ And then right when she graduated, she met with her producer, Justin Raisen. And I had nothing to do with the recording. She would come home and play me things, and she wouldn’t really ask for advice. Now, as she’s getting deeper into stuff, we will sit and talk and talk about kind of the bigger picture of things. ‘Cause getting thrown into it is — it’s a lot. But no, I didn’t wanna be a stage dad.”
This echoes sentiments Dave Grohl shared in February on Radio X‘s “The Chris Moyles Show.” Speaking with Chris Moyles, he reiterated his lack of involvement in the studio.
“So Violet, my daughter, she’s 19, about to turn 20, she made this album with a producer named Justin Raisen, and she did it on her own. She met the producer, and they would go to the studio every day and she would send me songs when she was finished. But I had absolutely nothing to do with this record at all.”
He also revealed that he was completely unaware of her industry negotiations until the deal was finalized.
“I had no idea,” Dave recalled. “I knew she was looking to sign a record deal, and she was, like, ‘Hey, Dad, can I come over for dinner tonight?’ And I’m, like, ‘Yeah, sure. What do you want me to make?’ And she came over and told me, like, ‘I signed my record deal today.'”
“I’m just like, ‘Oh my God!’ So, I’m totally uninvolved. I’m the dad who wants to be there and know everything. And she’s just totally doing her own thing. It’s amazing,” he continued.
Violet is scheduled to release her debut full-length album, Be Sweet To Me, on May 29 through Auroura/Republic. The project was recorded between late 2024 and early 2025 at the Los Angeles home studio of producer Justin Raisen (known for his work with Kim Gordon and Charli XCX). The sessions utilized a backing band assembled in the collaborative spirit of the 1960s and 1970s Wrecking Crew session players.
The first track written during these sessions was a heavy cut titled “THUM“, inspired by vintage anti-nail-biting polish packaging that Dave Grohl brought to the studio. Earlier this year in January, Violet issued the haunting, David Lynch-inspired single “What’s Heaven Without You“, written following the Altadena fires in Los Angeles. That track, along with the B-side “Swallowtail“, received an exclusive seven-inch vinyl release for Record Store Day on April 18.
