In a recent interview with Zane Lowe on Apple Music 1, Wolfgang Van Halen opened up about the immense impact his father, legendary guitarist Eddie Van Halen, had on his career. As he prepares for the release of his second album, ‘Mammoth II,’ Wolfgang expressed his deep regret that he couldn’t share his latest work with his late father, certain that Eddie would have loved it, just as he was proud of his contributions to the first Mammoth WVH album.
During the conversation, Wolfgang fondly recalled a significant moment when his father encouraged him to explore music. Eddie wanted to see if his son could play the drumbeat to AC/DC’s iconic track, ‘Highway To Hell.’ He placed a couple of magazines on a table, demonstrating the hand and foot movements, and watched as Wolfgang gave it a try.
To Wolfgang’s delight, Eddie was thrilled to see that his son could replicate the drumbeat, leading him to gift Wolfgang a drum kit on his ninth birthday. This was the only instance where Eddie actively pushed Wolfgang towards music; the rest of his musical journey has been self-directed.
Speaking about ‘Mammoth II,’ Wolfgang expressed his certainty that his father would be incredibly proud, as he had been with every aspect of the first album. However, Wolfgang deeply laments that he cannot share this new album with Eddie, expressing his heartfelt wish to be able to show it to him.
Reflecting on his father’s influence, Wolfgang shared, “If there was one thing my dad forced me to do, and it wasn’t even forcing, he just wanted to see if I could, is he put a couple of magazines on a table and he was like, ‘Do this with one hand, do this with another, and if you do that and you add your foot, you’re playing ‘Highway To Hell’ by AC/DC.’ And when he saw that I could do that, he was like, ‘Yes!’ And for my ninth birthday, he got me a drum kit. And that was really all he ever did in terms of pushing me. I followed the path myself.”
While Wolfgang fondly remembers his father’s encouragement, his musical journey is one of self-discovery and personal growth. His work with Mammoth WVH serves as a testament to his individuality and talent, and fans eagerly anticipate the release of his second album, ‘Mammoth II.’ In the meantime, they can enjoy the recently released single ‘Like A Pastime,’ which showcases another step forward in Wolfgang’s artistic evolution.