There’s no doubt that Violet Grohl has got talent absolutely oozing – naturally, she is the daughter of a very famous artist, but she’s quickly developing her own name, in her own fashion. With the release of her first album, Be Sweet to Me, which dropped on May 29, it’s the perfect time to get properly acquainted with her!
Violet was born in California, spending most of her childhood in the City of Angels. Becoming proficient in music software by the age of 14, she’s been immersed in the world of music her whole life, and it’s not only resulted in some impressive vocal abilities, but she’s also got the ability to effortlessly genre-bend. Be Sweet to Me features sexy, smooth lyrics combined with ballads, rock and alternative influences. Violet takes a refreshing stance on the whole ‘nepo baby’ debate, effortlessly baring her soul across the tracks, pleading for the audience to give her a chance on her own merits. She acknowledges that her upbringing has resulted in doors opening for her – but she’s not after anything except a shot at proving herself. And prove herself she has!
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When it came to learning music, Violet took her guitar-learning skills from another icon: Joni Mitchell. Mitchell has unconventional, complicated tunings as a result of childhood struggles, and it was Joni’s guitar language – often referred to as ‘Joni’s weird chords’ – that Violet utilised in her own experiences.
At 12, she had her musical debut – a performance at a children’s hospital in California, where her father Dave sang an impressive rendition of Adele’s ‘When We Were Young.’ Viewers in these early years pinned her as one to watch almost immediately, as she certainly held her own.
Much of her career until now has been at similar events. From nonprofit organisations to the Taylor Hawkins tribute concert in England, she’s been a familiar face. At the concerts for Taylor, she performed four tracks – ‘Hallelujah’, ‘Valerie’, ‘Grace’ and ‘Last Goodbye.’
She’s also been featured on a few tracks with her father before the release of Be Sweet to Me. If you’re a diehard fan like us, you might recognise some! Her first was a cover of Amy Winehouse’s ‘Take the Box’ on Dave’s 2021 project The Hanukkah Sessions, followed by her contribution of backing vocals to Foo Fighters’ ‘Making a Fire.’ In 2023, she contributed vocals to their song ‘Show Me How.’
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But she also loves a sidequest, it seems! When the Foo Fighters performed at Glastonbury in 2023 under the pseudonym The Churnups.
Being inspired by the 1990s grunge wave has definitely influenced the sound of Be Sweet to Me. Raw moments sound like PJ Harvey, ‘Bug in the Cake’ sounds like a sprinkle of Nirvana, and ‘Big Memory’ feels like a summer’s day, bringing the optimism of the 90s to a generation who missed it the first time round.
Violet’s now taking her stunning sound to the road, kicking off her tour in L.A. and continuing to play both headline shows and festivals until late November. Many dates have already sold out, indicating the eagerness of Violet’s growing audience. Based on what we’ve seen of her performing previously, we know these wouldn’t be shows to miss!
One thing is clear about Violet Grohl – she’s not only inheriting a legacy, but she’s got the storytelling instincts and the talent to make it. And on Be Sweet to Me, she proves it in spades. Now is the perfect time to lock in as a fan, and say you were there at the beginning – so what are you waiting for?
