Wolfgang Van Halen might be the son of a rock god, but Lzzy Hale believes that’s far from the only thing that makes him special. In fact, the Halestorm frontwoman says the Mammoth leader is one of the rare few carrying the future of rock on his shoulders — and doing it without ego.
Speaking in the new issue of Classic Rock Magazine, Hale reflects on an early encounter with Wolfgang, and how quickly he stood out from other second-generation rockstars.
“He’s a humble kid, there’s none of that ‘I’m a rock star’s kid’ stuff,” she says. “I’ve met quite a few of those guys who think that they’re better than everybody else because their dad was famous. That’s never been Wolfie.”
One moment that stuck with Hale was a visit to 5150 Studios — the legendary space built by the late Eddie Van Halen, where many of the band’s seminal albums were recorded.
“He took us to 5150 [Studios] and it still had all the tapes up there. There was Jump, the old analogue tapes, everything marked, everything organised to a T,” she recalls. “And we’re like: ‘Are we supposed to be in here?’ He’s like: ‘Oh yeah, dad won’t mind’ I’m like, this isn’t just anybody’s dad’s garage!”
“I think he and his band are gonna save rock ‘n’ roll,” Hale adds. “He’s a part of that small club of rock stars that are like: ‘Hey, you are more than welcome to be a part of this cool thing that we’re doing, but we don’t need you, we’re gonna do it anyway.”
Meanwhile, Wolfgang himself has opened up about the weight of carrying the Van Halen name — and the balancing act of honouring that legacy while forging his own path:
“Man, is it a fucking tight rope to walk, with the shadow I’m under and the expectations,” says the guitarist. “And it’s, like, I wanna be able to have the opportunity to reference my lineage, but not copy it and just put a flag in it and sit there and play Panama for everybody every night. I wanna be able to be my own person.”
More Wolf news:
Mammoth’s ‘The End’ Begins No. 1 Run on Mainstream Rock Airplay Chart
Mammoth returns to No. 1 on Billboard‘s Mainstream Rock Airplay chart, climbing two places on the tally dated Aug. 2 with “The End.”
It’s the Wolfgang Van Halen-led band’s third leader, following coronations for its first two entries in 2021 (when it went by the name Mammoth WVH): “Distance” and “Don’t Back Down.”
In between “Don’t Back Down” and “The End,” Mammoth reached Mainstream Rock Airplay three times, with all songs hitting the top 10. Of the group, “I’m Alright” performed the best, peaking at No. 5 in January 2024. It followed “Another Celebration at the End of the World” (No. 7, June 2023) and “Epiphany” (No. 9, March 2022).
And More:
New Mammoth tour dates announced!
10.31.25 – Rancho Mirage, CA – The Show at Agua Caliente Casino Mirage
11.12.25 – Boston, MA – Citizens House of Blues
11.29.25 – La Vista, NE – The Astro Theater
12.07.25 – Anaheim, CA – House of Blues
Mammoth Fall Headline Tour Kicks Off October 31st with Special Guest Myles Kennedy.
Presale started August 5th. Use the artist code THEENDto get your tickets.
Public on sale Friday at 10am local.
GRAMMY® Award-nominated songwriter, vocalist, multi-instrumentalist, and producer Wolfgang Van Halen has unveiled all the information for his upcoming third album, The End.
The album is slated for release on October 24. The 10-track record clocks in at 39 minutes and showcases the evolution of Wolf and his songwriting since he launched his solo career in 2020. Recorded at the legendary 5150 studio, the album was produced by friend and collaborator Michael “Elvis” Baskette.
The End is available for pre-order in multiple configurations, including limited-edition vinyl colors, a signed insert version, and retailer exclusives, on MAMMOTH’s official website, Mammoth.band.
To coincide with the album announcement, Mammoth is releasing the track “The Spell” for fans to check out. Now available via all digital service providers, the performance music video, featuring Wolfgang playing all the instruments and directed by visual collaborator Gordy De St. Jeor, can be watched below.
Related: Lzzy Hale: ‘Women and Children First’ Is ‘The Best Van Halen Record, Period’