Wolfgang Van Halen has named Dave Grohl’s Foo Fighters as a key influence on his decision to play all the instruments himself, speaking on Garza Podcast.
Van Halen was asked about the three albums that have inspired him most. He spoke about records that shaped his approach to music and his own work as a multi-instrumentalist.
Question: “What are the three albums that have inspired you?”
“‘Sound Awake’ from Karnivool for sure,” Van Halen said. “The one I’m absolutely sure of is _Sound Awake_ just because it’s one of my favorite records of all time. That record is very special to me. I don’t know if it shows too much in my writing, but it’s just a masterpiece.”
“It’s not my favorite record by them, but it is the reason why I wanted to [play all the instruments] and that is the first Foo Fighters record. It’s not my favorite. There are some great songs on there, but I would pick like Wasting Light is my favorite Foo Fighters album … it’s really fun how messy that album is.”
Van Halen then recalled his interaction with Grohl when he was invited to perform at the Taylor Hawkins tribute concert. “When he called me to do the Taylor Hawkins tribute, he was super nice. He was like, ‘I listened to your stuff. It’s cool. You’re doing everything?’ And I just said, ‘I’m ripping you off,’ and he laughed.”
Van Halen discussed these influences as part of a wider conversation about the albums that have shaped his musical direction. His remarks highlight how Grohl’s approach to songwriting and playing multiple instruments has informed his own creative path.
Dave Grohl recorded the Foo Fighters’ self-titled debut album on July 4, 1995, playing drums, bass, guitar and singing on the record. Grohl’s multi-instrumental approach on that album made a lasting impression on Van Halen, who would later adopt a similar method for his own music.
Van Halen has released three solo albums as Mammoth WVH in 2021, Mammoth II in 2023, and The End in October 2025. On all three records, Van Halen wrote every song and played every instrument in the studio.
Van Halen performed at two Taylor Hawkins memorial concerts in September 2022, one in London and one in Los Angeles. At those shows, he played his father’s classics such as “Hot for Teacher” and “Panama” with Dave Grohl on bass, Justin Hawkins from the Darkness on vocals, and Josh Freese on drums. That experience gave Van Halen the chance to work alongside Grohl, the musician whose early work had inspired his own creative direction.
