Guesting on Boise, Idaho's 100.3 The X Rocks, Mammoth WVH founder / frontman Wolfgang Van Halen discussed performing live without using technology as a safety net.
Wolfgang: "Technology is incredible, but we still do use a lot of the old stuff in our studio. We track to tape, we do use Pro-Tools, but we initially track to tape. My main kind of rule is that I don't ever wanna record something that I can't pull off live. So that's a really, really, really big, big thing for me, because we don't use tracks live at all. The only track we have is if we play to a click track and we have an intro. I don't like to replace or to pretend like I'm doing something or have any main vocals or guitars. It's, like, it's everything you see. That's us and that's it."
Wolfgang Van Halen's Mammoth WVH released their second album, Mammoth II, back in August via BMG. Wolfgang recently spoke with American Songwriter about his new music, finding more confidence around his songwriting, and more. An excerpt from the article follows...
Wolfgang Van Halen initially put Mammoth WVH on hold to help care for his father, Eddie, who was battling lung cancer at the time. Recorded at the 5150 Studios, where he also laid down his debut, and where Van Halen (the band) recorded many of their biggest hits, II finds Wolfgang traversing the next batch of years, including the loss of his father in 2020 and its aftermath.
“With everything that I write, lyrically, it’s very much a therapeutic thing for me, where I’m always working out a bunch of shit,” Van Halen says. “The first album was written and recorded by 2018, so everything that’s happened in my life from 2018 until now, or until the time of recording this second album, is where my headspace was [on II]. I’ve had a lot of things happen to me between then and now.”
He continues, “I think that’s why this album is a bit more aggressive, and much darker, and inward, lyrically. I think the first album was more outward, socially. My lyrical style is relationship-based, but this time it was more inward. It was more of me fighting with myself and my own feelings and emotions than someone else’s.”
Read more at American Songwriter.
Mammoth II tracklisting:
"Right?"
"Like A Pastime"
"Another Celebration At The End Of The World"
"Miles Above Me"
"Take A Bow"
"Optimist"
"I’m Alright"
"Erase Me"
"Waiting"
"Better Than You"
"I’m Alright" video:
"Take A Bow" lyric video:
“Like A Pastime” lyric video:
"Another Celebration At The End Of The World" video:
Mammoth WVH will embark on a headline tour this fall to support Mammoth II. The trek will kick off November 4 in Milwaukee, WI and run through December 9 when Mammoth returns home to Los Angeles. The headline run will make stops in Chicago, IL (November 9), Sayreville, NJ (November 17), Dallas TX (November 25) and Seattle, WA (December 3) to name a few. The headline dates will feature Nita Strauss as direct support. These dates also come as Mammoth picks up their spot opening for Metallica in the US for their previously announced dates on November 3 in St. Louis and November 10 in Detroit.
Tour dates:
November
11 - Grand Rapids, MI - Elevation at the Intersection
13 - Toronto, ON - The Danforth Music Hall
14 - Montreal, QC - Théâtre Beanfield
15 - Boston, MA - Big Night Live
17 - Sayreville, NJ - Starland Ballroom
18 - Philadelphia, PA - Keswick Theatre
19 - Baltimore, MD - Rams Head Live
21 - Atlanta, GA - Buckhead Theater
22 - Lake Buena Vista, FL - House Of Blues
24 - Houston, TX - Warehouse Live Ballroom
25 - Dallas, TX - The Factory in Deep Ellum
26 - Austin, TX - Emo’s
28 - Denver, CO - Gothic Theatre
29 - Salt Lake City, UT - The Depot
30 - Boise, ID - Knitting Factory
December
2 - Spokane, WA - Knitting Factory
3 - Seattle, WA - The Showbox
4 - Portland, OR - Roseland Theater
7 - San Diego, CA - House of Blues
8 - Las Vegas, NV - House of Blues
9 - Los Angeles, CA - The Belasco
Find the band's complete tour itinerary and further details at mammothwvh.com.
