NEWS
Dave Grohl has shared that he was completely unaware his daughter Violet had secured a record deal until she casually told him over dinner.
The legendary rocker has been making the rounds with interviews as Foo Fighters get ready to drop their 12th studio album ‘Your Favorite Toy’ on April 24, a project Grohl says is packed with “noisy, loud bangers” that capture a feeling of “the old days”.
Speaking during a recent appearance on The Chris Moyles Show on Radio X, the frontman opened up about his teenage daughter Violet stepping into her own music career, admitting he played no role in creating her material.
The Los Angeles-based singer-songwriter began releasing new music last month, including the David Lynch-inspired ‘What’s Heaven Without You’, which arrived last week to mark the first anniversary of the iconic filmmaker’s passing.
She followed that by confirming she had signed with Republic Records / Island EMI and would soon release two new tracks, ‘Thum’ and ‘Applefish’.
Moyles mentioned to Grohl that her music had recently been selected as ‘Record Of The Week’ on Radio X, prompting the Foo Fighters frontman to speak proudly about her work.
“This is amazing. So Violent, 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,” he said. “She connected with the producer, they were in the studio every day, and she would send me songs once they were done. But I had absolutely nothing to do with this record at all.”
He added that although he would have loved to be more involved, he did not realize how far things had progressed until she sat him down and told him herself.
“I had no idea. 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,” he continued. “I’m the dad who wants to be there and know everything. And she’s just totally doing her own thing. It’s amazing.”
Grohl went on to praise Violet’s upcoming album as “amazing” and said she is “so incredibly talented and has such great taste in music”.
He also shared that watching her create new music ended up inspiring him while working on the latest Foo Fighters record.
“It really did. The way that they made that record and the energy of it, I was like, ‘Oh, man. I’ve just been inspired by my daughter’s debut album.’ It’s cool,” he explained.
Back in late 2024, reports surfaced that Violet had been working on her debut solo album with Raisen, whose credits include Kim Gordon, Charli XCX, and Sky Ferreira. Grohl has also previously said he would love to feature on her first record.
They have collaborated before, releasing a cover of ‘Nausea’, originally by Los Angeles punk band X, in 2021.
She first joined Foo Fighters on tour in 2018, contributing backing vocals at several shows. She later appeared at the Taylor Hawkins tribute concerts in 2022, and after featuring on the band’s 2023 track ‘Show Me How’, she joined them onstage at that year’s Glastonbury to perform it.
Last year, the remaining members of Nirvana, Dave, Krist Novoselic and Pat Smear, reunited for a four-song set at the Fire Aid benefit concert in Los Angeles, with Violet taking on lead vocals for ‘All Apologies’.
As for Foo Fighters, the band revealed details of their 12th studio album ‘Your Favorite Toy’ on Thursday, February 19, alongside its powerful title track. In a four-star review, NME called the song a “futureproof rock beast” that is “snarlingly unapologetic”.
The album is set for release on April 24 and follows 2023’s ‘But Here We Are’. It will also include last year’s track ‘Asking For A Friend’.
Since announcing the new record, Grohl has admitted it was “really complicated” to move forward after the sudden death of Taylor Hawkins in 2022, and said he has often felt like each album could have been their last.
The band are preparing for a run of major stadium shows across the UK and Europe this year, along with North American dates later in the summer and autumn. They have also confirmed an Australia and New Zealand tour scheduled for 2026 and 2027. Tickets are available here.
Over the past week, Foo Fighters have performed their new single ‘Your Favorite Toy’ live for the first time on The Graham Norton Show and announced a string of surprise gigs across London, Dublin and Manchester.
They launched the run in Dublin on Monday, February 23, using the intimate show to debut unreleased material from the upcoming album. The London date is set for tonight, Wednesday February 25, followed by Manchester on Friday, February 27.
NEWS
In a major setback for the UK summer festival season, global drinks brand Pepsi has confirmed it is ending its relationship with Wireless Festival. The move comes after strong political criticism and public reaction to the festival’s decision to book American rapper Kanye West, who is now legally known as Ye, as a headliner.
The situation intensified this week after Prime Minister Keir Starmer spoke out against the booking, according to reporting from The Guardian. Starmer described the decision as "deeply concerning," pointing to the artist’s past antisemitic comments and his open praise of Nazi related figures as being at odds with the values of the United Kingdom. His remarks reflect a wider position within the government that antisemitism must always be challenged firmly to protect the Jewish community and maintain public safety.
Recent releases from the rapper have added further controversy. In the previous year, he drew global criticism after putting out a song called Heil Hitler and attempting to sell products displaying swastika imagery. Although West later apologized in the Wall Street Journal and said his actions were connected to a manic episode, many critics believe his influence still presents serious concerns.
The event, which is planned for July at Finsbury Park in London, is now dealing with growing uncertainty. Aside from losing a key sponsor, there are also questions about whether West will even be able to enter the country. Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood has the power to refuse entry if someone is considered not beneficial to the public good. These rules allow the Home Office to refuse visas to individuals whose behavior or connections could increase social tensions or encourage hate.
Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey has already urged officials to impose a ban on his entry, while organizations such as the Board of Deputies of British Jews have described the booking as "deeply irresponsible." With a major sponsor stepping away and increasing calls for government action, organizers of Wireless Festival now face significant challenges in keeping the event moving forward.
