Foo Fighters frontman Dave Grohl recently opened up about his daughter Violet’s musical journey and his decision to prioritize her education. He shared his insights in an interview with SiriusXM.
The rock legend discussed how he recognized his daughter’s musical talent from an early age and his approach to nurturing her abilities while ensuring she completed her education.
“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,” Grohl said. “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.'”
Grohl explained how he encouraged his daughter to develop her songwriting skills independently. He gave her the tools to explore her creativity.
“And I said, ‘Okay, well, you have to write songs.’ And I didn’t tell her how to do it,” he continued. “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.”
The musician shared his amazement at discovering his daughter’s self-taught musical abilities. He was particularly impressed by her mastery of complex guitar techniques.
“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,'” Grohl recalled. “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*ck did you learn how to do that?’ And she was kind of woodshedding in her bedroom.”
Despite Violet’s eagerness to pursue music professionally, Grohl insisted she complete her education first before diving into the music industry.
“She wanted to leave school to play music. I was, like, ‘Just stick through it. Stay in school,'” he said. “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.”
Dave Grohl’s insistence on education has proven to be a wise decision. Violet has since achieved significant milestones in her music career while maintaining her independence as an artist.
Louder Sound reported that Violet Grohl has signed a record contract with Republic Records/Island EMI through her own Auroura Records imprint. This marks a major step forward in her professional music career. The label executives have high expectations for the young artist. Senior VP of A&R Kristina Grossmann praised her as representing “the next generation of artists” with “immediate, intentional” music.
Violet’s musical output has been impressive. Parade noted that she has released several singles including “Thum” (also stylized as THUM), “Applefish,” and “595.” She also collaborated on “What’s Heaven Without You” with Persia Numan. Her debut album “Be Sweet To Me” is scheduled for release on May 29. This demonstrates the rapid progression of her career since completing her education.
The record label executives have noted Violet’s unique understanding of music history while simultaneously pushing it forward. Louder Sound revealed that they describe her voice as having “rare duality.” This highlights her ability to blend traditional musical knowledge with innovative approaches to songwriting and performance.
Dave Grohl’s hands-off approach continues to define their professional relationship. Parade mentioned that in a February interview, the Foo Fighters frontman emphasized his non-involvement in Violet’s album production. At 19 years old and nearing 20, Violet independently produced the album with Justin Raisen. She sent her father finished tracks without seeking his input. This demonstrates the independence and self-reliance that her education helped foster.
