MAMMOTH WVH To Perform 'I'm Alright' On 'Jimmy Kimmel Live!'

MAMMOTH WVH, the brainchild of former VAN HALEN bassist Wolfgang Van Halen, will be the featured musical guest on the Wednesday, January 24 episode of "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" The band will perform the song "I'm Alright", which is featured on MAMMOTH WVH's sophomore album, "Mammoth II".

"Jimmy Kimmel Live!" airs every weeknight at 11:35 p.m. EST and features a diverse lineup of guests that include celebrities, athletes, musical acts, comedians and human-interest subjects, along with comedy bits and a house band.

Last month, MAMMOTH WVH announced headline tour dates for 2024 in support of "Mammoth II". The first leg, scheduled for February 21, 2024 to March 10, 2024, will mark the return of special guest Nita Strauss. The second leg, scheduled for May 4, 2024 to May 17, 2024, will welcome rockers INTERVALS as special guests.

"Mammoth II" was released in August 2023 via BMG. The 10-track record was recorded at the legendary 5150 studio and was produced by Wolfgang's friend and collaborator Michael "Elvis" Baskette.

Continuing the tradition of writing all of the songs and performing all of the instrumentation and vocals himself, Wolfgang set out to challenge himself to expand his sound beyond what people had already come to know him for. From the rocking opener "Right?" to BEATLES-esque fade on closer "Better Than You", "Mammoth II" showcases the growth of Wolfgang as a songwriter, musician and especially vocalist. Songs like "Like A Pastime", "Take A Bow" and "Waiting" are all sonically different from each other but unique to what mastermind Wolfgang Van Halen and MAMMOTH WVH is.

Earlier last year, Wolfgang was asked in an interview with Planet Rock's Wyatt Wendels if he sees MAMMOTH WVH as a solo project or as a band, especially since he plays all instruments and handles lead vocals on MAMMOTH WVH's albums. "What would you call NINE INCH NAILS?" the ex-bassist of the band VAN HALEN and son of the late guitarist Eddie Van Halen asked Wyatt, to which Wendels replied, "A band." Van Halen continued: "Then, yeah, I call it a band. Trent [Reznor, NINE INCH NAILS mastermind] kind of goes in, does his thing, has a band [playing with him live]… I guess I see it as a band, even though I guess some could argue it's a solo thing. I don't know. It's kind of both. [Laughs]"

In December 2022, Wolfgang defended his decision to once again play all instruments on MAMMOTH WVH's second album, "II", telling Ireland's Overdrive: "I know it may come across as selfish [laughs], but that's just the way that it works for me. I like to completely immersive myself in the music — in all aspects of it. I think a lot of people have tried to turn it into something else, saying things like, 'Oh it's because he doesn't want to pay other musicians,' and it's not that at all. This is just something for me. It's a sacred experience for me. It's my project, and an artistic outlet for me and my mental well-being. I'm so luck that I have this incredible live band that just slays live, so I get to bring this creation to life on stage. I suppose, it's kind of like NINE INCH NAILS, in the way that Trent Reznor creates all the music, records it, produces it, et cetera, and then he has this band that can bring it to life when needed. I'm not comparing myself to Trent, but it's more the interesting duality to this approach, which is so much fun, and deeply satisfying."

Wolfgang made similar comments in March 2023 in an interview with U.K.'s Total Guitar magazine. "Some people try to turn me playing everything into a negative thing, which surprises me," he said. "It's like they think I won't let other people play on it or something like that. But really this is what MAMMOTH is and always has been; it's my artistic expression.

"I've been in bands before where you collaborate and that's not what this is," he explained. "I have a live band, but in the studio I do everything and have a fun time doing it. I enjoy being able to express myself musically in every avenue."

In addition to Wolfgang, MAMMOTH WVH's touring lineup includes guitarists Frank Sidoris and Jon Jourdan, bassist Ronnie Ficarro and drummer Garrett Whitlock.

In November 2020, Wolfgang confirmed that he asked his father for permission to use the MAMMOTH WVH band name for his solo project. MAMMOTH WVH is a nod to family history — Eddie and Alex Van Halen's band was called MAMMOTH when singer David Lee Roth first joined it in 1974.