WOLFGANG VAN HALEN: 'I'm Very Happy That People Are Beginning To Take Me Seriously As My Own Artist'

In a recent interview with Matilda Svensson of Chile's Radio Futuro, MAMMOTH leader Wolfgang Van Halen was asked what it feels like to be embraced for his own musical accomplishments as opposed to the association with his father, legendary VAN HALEN guitarist Eddie Van Halen. Wolfgang responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "It's pretty great. I'm very lucky and happy that people are beginning to take me seriously as my own artist and separate me from my family history. 'Cause at the end of the day, that's all I would really like to do, is be taken at face value for what I represent and not for what my family represents. And I think that's why I'm trying to do something different. I don't play VAN HALEN music at my shows. I would rather fail on my own than succeed by playing VAN HALEN music. So I think it just shows the work that I've been putting in and people beginning to see the person I am on my own. So I'm very grateful."

Asked what he feels he has in common with his father musically, both in terms of his playing and his way of creating music, Wolfgang said: "I think we just… I mean, just being related and just being around him my whole life, we both started on the drums, so I think that's a really great sort of rhythmic background to the foundation of being a musician. And so I think we both attack guitar playing from a rhythmic perspective. And so I think that's a really great thing that my dad and I have in common. And I'm very happy to have that in common with him."

Wolfgang also commented on the rising number of female rockers in bands, saying: "It's awesome. I think it's an archaic mindset to think that only men can do any…. Women can do anything and be better than any man. So I think it's an archaic mindset to think that women can't be in rock and roll. I mean, I think one of my favorites out there right now is a very close friend of mine, Lzzy Hale of HALESTORM. I think what she's doing is incredible, and she's one of the best singers out there. And also, yeah, the drummer that they've got for RUSH [Anika Nilles] is incredible. I can't wait to see what the shows are gonna be like. I remember I watched some of her videos on Drumeo, on the YouTube channel, and she's just absolutely insane. No wonder they picked her. I'm excited to see how those shows go. [LINKIN PARK's Emily Armstrong], she's badass as well. It's awesome."

To celebrate the release of MAMMOTH's third album, "The End", the band kicked off a fall headline run two months ago. "The End" tour launched on October 31 and ran for five weeks before it wrapped up on December 7. Longtime friend Myles Kennedy was the special guest on the run.

MAMMOTH's touring lineup features Wolfgang on guitar and lead vocals, Frank Sidoris (SLASH FEATURING MYLES KENNEDY AND THE CONSPIRATORS) on guitar, Jon Jourdan on guitar and vocals, Garrett Whitlock (TREMONTI) on drums, and Ronnie Ficarro on bass.

Back in 2021, MAMMOTH's first offering, "Mammoth WVH", took flight, bowing at No. 12 on the Billboard 200 and capturing No. 1 on three Billboard charts — Top Hard Rock Albums, Top Independent Albums, and Top Rock Albums. "Distance" soared as the first of two No. 1 rock radio hits and earned a Grammy Award nomination for "Best Rock Song". Two years later, "Mammoth II" only saw Wolfgang pick up the pace. It debuted in the Top 5 of the Billboard Top Album Sales chart in addition to bringing him back to No. 1 on the Top Hard Rock Albums chart. Inciting widespread applause from Rolling Stone, Guitar World, Grammy.com, Kerrang! and more, Classic Rock hailed it as "a solo second that betters his debut in every department," and American Songwriter applauded, "'II' reveals a closer representation of what MAMMOTH is now and Van Halen's dynamism as a musician and as a writer." The band canvased the globe with METALLICA, supported FOO FIGHTERS in North America, supported CREED on their record-breaking tour as well as filling houses on their own. They performed on NBC's "Today", ABC's "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" and at the 2024 MusiCares "Person Of The Year" benefit gala in honor of Jon Bon Jovi. Not to mention, Wolfgang shared the stage with Ryan Gosling, Mark Ronson and Slash at the 2024 Academy Awards performing "I'm Just Ken" from the blockbuster "Barbie" movie. He also joined Maynard James Keenan (TOOL, A PERFECT CIRCLE),Chad Smith (RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS),Robert Trujillo (METALLICA) and producer Andrew Watt for the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame induction of Ozzy Osbourne that same year.