One I'm Watching: Violet Grohl — Be Sweet to Me
Violet Grohl's debut record, Be Sweet to Me, drops May 29th, and I'm looking forward to it.
Now, let's get the obvious thing out of the way: yes, she is Dave Grohl's daughter. Yes, that's a lot of musical legacy to carry around. And yes, people are inevitably going to frame everything she does through that lens. I get it. But based on what she's put out so far, I'd argue she doesn't need the last name to get your attention. But, I admit it was why I first checked out her music.
Be Sweet to Me comes out May 29th via Auroura Records/Republic Records and was recorded from late 2024 into early 2025 at producer Justin Raisen's Los Angeles home studio — Raisen having previously worked with the likes of Kim Gordon and Charli XCX, which tells you something about the kind of sonic territory we're in here. The sessions featured musicians assembled in the spirit of the Wrecking Crew session players of the '60s and '70s, which is a genuinely interesting approach for someone making music that sounds nothing like that era.
Because the influences Violet has cited are very much not the Wrecking Crew. She's drawn from alternative music of the late '80s and early '90s — Pixies, Soundgarden, Cocteau Twins, and the Breeders — which, if you've read my Top 10 post, you'll know is an era I have a lot of love for. "There's something so powerful about that period of music, from the messaging to the visuals — it's authentic and raw," she said, and honestly? That tracks. The singles she's released so far back that up.
The lead single "THUM" — a fuzzy ripper that kicked things off — was reportedly influenced by the old-school packaging of anti-nail-biting polish that Grohl brought into the studio. That's the kind of detail I love. Then came "595," a grungy, noisy track inspired by a vintage t-shirt advertising a phone sex line — sly, loud, and genuinely fun.
The full album runs 11 tracks, and I'm curious to hear how it holds together as a complete listen. The singles suggest someone with a real sense of atmosphere and a genuine connection to the music she grew up around.
At 19 years old, releasing a debut album on a major label with this much creative specificity behind it is no small thing. I'm rooting for her, and I'm genuinely excited to hear the whole record.
Be Sweet to Me is out May 29th. It's already available to pre-order on vinyl — and yes, we'll be carrying it.
If you want to pre-order through our store you will have to let me know, because I haven't set up pre-orders en masse just yet.
This is my favourite song of her's so far, enjoy: