“I’m not trying to be my father; I’m trying to be me”: Wolfgang Van Halen on his solo music
The musician is bracing himself for a wave of criticism when he releases his long-awaited debut album.
Photo: Ethan Miller / Getty Images
Wolfgang Van Halen, son of legendary guitarist Eddie Van Halen, has opened up about his long-awaited solo material.
Bracing for a possible wave of criticism from the rock music community, Wolfgang took to Instagram to share a statement, where he maintained: “I’m not trying to be my father; I’m trying to be me.
“Being who I am, I think people at least will be interested in what my work will sound like, which is nice. But on the other hand, if it’s not exactly what they want to hear or if I don’t sound ‘Van Halen-y’ enough for them they’ll hate me and won’t give me the time of day.
“I’m fully prepared for a wave of hate when my music releases because it won’t be what people think it’ll be.” Read his full post below.
The younger Van Halen’s long-awaited solo album has been reportedly in the works since as early as 2015. According to Alternative Nation, the musician himself announced that it would be completed in 2019.
Wolfgang, now 29 years old, has served as Van Halen’s bassist since 2007, when he was just 16.
As far as the family band goes, the Van Halens have been on an indefinite hiatus since 2015. Long-term vocalist David Lee Roth even quashed the possibilities of a reunion in 2019, and more recently, told the New York Times: “I don’t know that Eddie [Van Halen] is ever really going to rally for the rigours of the road again.”
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