Between the loss of his father — the great Eddie Van Halen — in early October and the release of his debut song “Distance” shortly after, it’s been an emotional time for Wolfgang Van Halen. With the anticipation that live shows will soon be on the horizon, the rocker expects to have a difficult time performing the song.
“First of all, the reaction has been so crazy. I never could’ve seen this coming,” Van Halen told Loudwire Nights. The song, which is his first release as Mammoth WVH, has received widespread praise, and even topped Billboard’s Hot Hard Rock Songs chart.
“I think what’s so important to me, from what everyone’s been saying, is how much they can relate to it,” he continued. “With how awful 2020 has been of a year and how many people have lost someone important to them, I think the message of the song is really resonating with a lot of people. And I think that’s what’s kind of touched me the most out of the whole process.”
That being said, it’s completely understandable that Van Halen is anticipating it being very difficult to perform the song when he’s able to take the stage with his band next year.
“In order to play it, I kind of have to get into that space. I still haven’t really been able to fully play it on my own, just by myself,” he explained. “Playing it certainly is going to take some separation in my head in order to play it properly.”
When it is time to play the song and the rest of the album onstage, Van Halen will be joined by Slash guitarist Frank Sidoris, Tremonti drummer Garrett Whitlock and bassist Ronnie Ficarro. Their first and only show as of right now is at Aftershock Festival in Sacramento, Calif. next October. See the rest of the lineup on their website.
To hear more about the making of the heartwarming “Distance” tribute video, Van Halen’s plethora of songs and more, listen to the full interview above.
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