← The Magnificent Others with Billy Corgan
The Magnificent Others with Billy Corgan
Wolfgang Van Halen | The Magnificent Others with Billy Corgan
00:59:10
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- [00:00]
Wolfgang Van Halen
I want to earn this. I don't want to be given anything.
- [00:04]
Billy Corgan
Right. You know, I don't know why people aren't willing to give you that opportunity. I find that annoying.
- [00:09]
Wolfgang Van Halen
It's a really funny put down of like, you'll never be your dad. And when it's like, no, I'm not and nobody else ever will be, I would rather make my own name. Unfortunately, when I have the name Van Halen, it's a bit tough to do.
- [00:27]
Billy Corgan
All right. Welcome. Thank you.
- [00:28]
Wolfgang Van Halen
Thank you for having me.
- [00:29]
Billy Corgan
It's our first time meeting.
- [00:30]
Wolfgang Van Halen
Yeah.
- [00:31]
Billy Corgan
I'm glad to cross paths with you, of course. So, you know, I'm doing my typical research. March 16, 1991. On March 17, 1967, fellow Pisces.
- [00:42]
Wolfgang Van Halen
Yeah. My wife is the day before me as well.
- [00:44]
Billy Corgan
So they say if you can couple with your same sign, that's the best relationship you can have.
- [00:50]
Wolfgang Van Halen
Well, I guess they're right because it is.
- [00:52]
Billy Corgan
You better say that right here. Recently married. Congratulations on being married. I think that's awesome. As you know. Or you're learning. Success and love at the same time is super valuable.
- [01:06]
Wolfgang Van Halen
Absolutely. It's nice to have somebody that you can, you know, trust.
- [01:13]
Billy Corgan
It gets a little complicated at times to figure out.
- [01:15]
Wolfgang Van Halen
Right. I've had a lot happen in my life in the last, you know, six years. So having.
- [01:20]
Billy Corgan
I haven't heard any about that. Maybe we can poke around on that.
- [01:23]
Wolfgang Van Halen
Yeah.
- [01:24]
Billy Corgan
Yeah, you have.
- [01:24]
Wolfgang Van Halen
It's nice to have somebody I can just kind. Kind of trauma dump, I guess, to a certain extent. But also share it with.
- [01:32]
Billy Corgan
I. When I was in my. You're how old now? 30?
- [01:35]
Wolfgang Van Halen
I'm 33.
- [01:36]
Billy Corgan
33. You know, there's a lot of the years of my life where there was all these incredible things going on musically, but because I didn't really have something to come home to doesn't mean I didn't have a relationship. But it wasn't anything I look forward to. It's like a black hole in my mind.
- [01:53]
Wolfgang Van Halen
Totally.
- [01:53]
Billy Corgan
It's like this gig, this gig, this gig, and then it's like blank to the next one. Yeah. Because when you find that work life balance, it's super valuable. And I. I found it really late in life. I mean, I'm 57, and it's like I'm. No one's more shocked than me that I'm in a happy marriage and have children. And so I wish all those things for you.
- [02:12]
Wolfgang Van Halen
Thank you very much.
- [02:13]
Billy Corgan
So everybody in the world wants to talk to you about your pop. And I promised you we weren't gonna talk under it, though. No, but here's the thing.
- [02:23]
Wolfgang Van Halen
I would be happy to talk about him with you because you've actually interviewed him before.
- [02:27]
Billy Corgan
So thank you. I did have that honor. But my point is. And when I texted you, thanks to our mutual friend Ross Halfon, I really want this interview to be about you.
- [02:36]
Wolfgang Van Halen
He stressed that as well. So he.
- [02:40]
Billy Corgan
Because I listen. We deal in a world where it's clickbait and low hanging fruit. And if you. If you. If you'll trust me is not the right word. If you. If you let me kind of get there, I think you'll understand why I'm talking about the things I'm talking about. Let's just let you know, as we say in wrestling, I'm not swerving you. So here I am in about 97. I'm at 5150 with your father. Sammy's recently left the band Guitar World, who the interview was with. I pitched them, I said, I want to interview Eddie. And they were like, why? And I said, because he's one of the greatest musicians in the world. And I feel that Van Halen isn't really getting its respect from the alternative world. Van Halen really stands outside a lot of these other bands that got swept aside in the. In the grunge era. And I know you know your grunge world music, right?
- [03:37]
Wolfgang Van Halen
Yeah.
- [03:37]
Billy Corgan
So I was like, I really want to introduce Van Halen and Eddie to an audience that maybe wouldn't understand why Van Halen is so valuable to the.
- [03:47]
Wolfgang Van Halen
Alternative community or just guitar players in general. Hello.
- [03:51]
Billy Corgan
Hello. I mean, come on, everybody. You know, So I think it was. Brad Talinsky was the editor of the Time. He was so nervous about the interview, he flew out to make sure I didn't ask your father any of the wrong questions. And your father was amazing with me. And I have this memory, and it came back to me today because I was listening a lot of your music in prep for the interview. Wow. And you know, there's a kind of beautiful high reediness to your voice. Like you have a lead singer voice. You know what I mean?
- [04:25]
Wolfgang Van Halen
Thank you very much.
- [04:26]
Billy Corgan
And as your father felt more and more comfortable with me through the interview. And I'll tell you how I think he got comfortable, because I. I didn't get the feeling he was sitting around listening to Smashing Pumpkins, which was okay. I was just honored to be there and interviewing with him. And you know how your dad was. This is a cigarette and a guitar. And, you know, you know, like, so And I'm chasing around. But at some point, he said, play something. Sure. He goes. And he kind of does the thing, but before you hear it, it's me singing. Now, I've heard your father sing 8,000 times, but always in harmony.
- [05:09]
Wolfgang Van Halen
Not a lot of people realize that the tone of the Van Halen harmonies is very much half him.
- [05:14]
Billy Corgan
Okay, But I didn't know that. Could you hear Mike?
- [05:19]
Wolfgang Van Halen
And he's wonder. Mike's incredible. But you don't realize the other half of that, okay?
- [05:23]
Billy Corgan
Very much that I had this. And I'm getting chills thinking about it, because. Huge. I mean, Van Halen, come on. So he plays me this song, and I go to. And I listen to it, and he wants to know what I think. And I go, okay, well, first of all, you have an alternative voice. And he's like, what does that mean? You know? And I go, you sound like somebody who'd be in a grunge band. He has a cool voice. It's like. It was shocking. And I was like, wow, your voice is cool. Like, why don't you sing guitar? You know what I mean? The other moment, and this is where I think he became comfortable with me and why he was willing to play me some of these things was, you know, he's playing, you know. You know better than anybody. He'd sit there and just play. And he'd sit there like, how the hell is he. It was. I mean, it's shocking. I saw your dad back in the day, 84, last tour, the original lineup. You know, I sat there and studied it all like every other nerd. But when you're like this, as far away as you are, and he's playing, you're like, holy mother of God. How do you play like that?
- [06:36]
Wolfgang Van Halen
Yeah.
- [06:36]
Billy Corgan
And as he's talking and he's smoking and he's taking jokes, and you're like, second nature.
- [06:41]
Wolfgang Van Halen
Yeah.
- [06:41]
Billy Corgan
Okay.
- [06:42]
Wolfgang Van Halen
So.
- [06:42]
Billy Corgan
So he does this. He goes, you play, right? And I go, yeah. He goes, play. And he hands me that guitar. Whatever is the.
- [06:53]
Wolfgang Van Halen
Nothing worse than being a musician and somebody say, you play, right?
- [06:56]
Billy Corgan
No, no, no. All due respect, he's your dad. Eddie Van Halen. Hey, play the guitar. Let me see what you got. So I'm like, holy. What am I gonna play him? And I'm not gonna play Van Halen. So I just. Like. I got nothing to lose. So I just. Just started playing, and he goes, you can play. I think he thought it was just some alternative creep, you know what I mean? So after he saw that I could play the guitar, the conversation went totally different after you.
- [07:30]
Wolfgang Van Halen
A bit more.
- [07:30]
Billy Corgan
And then we were talking about music and amps. And so he really opened up. And I think that's what led to him playing that song. But as it pertains to you here, hearing you sing, it's like today, listening, it was like, oh, yeah, that's that connection. I remember that voice. And I think, you know, obviously there's a lot of focus on your guitar playing and your music. But I think what's really getting lost in is you're very good lead singer.
- [07:59]
Wolfgang Van Halen
That's very kind.
- [07:59]
Billy Corgan
Did you. Cause you sound to me like somebody who, you know, not everybody can just be a good lead singer. Is that something you practice? It came naturally. I'm sort of curious.
- [08:09]
Wolfgang Van Halen
I have no idea. I've always been able. I've always been able to sing, but when it came to Mammoth and its inception, I was not sure if I could do it. I wanted to, right. But it took my producer, Elvis Basquet, to really push me. He's like, I can hear it. I know you can do it. We just need to figure it out. And that's why I think, you know, doing that first album took like three years of just kind of recording on and off to figure out who I was. And I eventually found it. But I think coming back to the second album after touring for a year is where I really found it. I think just kind of being on the road and doing it, I mean.
- [08:44]
Billy Corgan
You'Re a very credible lead singer. You know what I mean? And as somebody who plays guitar and sings for a living, it's not something that just happens.
- [08:52]
Wolfgang Van Halen
It's a lot of.
- [08:53]
Billy Corgan
Yeah, it's a lot of R and D is the old word. You know, research and development, part of your narrative at this point in your life. And before I say this, because I think it's important. I think your future is so exciting because you're at the perfect age. Maybe a little later than most people would have started.
- [09:13]
Wolfgang Van Halen
Yeah, I feel like it's a little. A little late almost.
- [09:15]
Billy Corgan
I don't think so.
- [09:16]
Wolfgang Van Halen
I Wish I was 23 instead of 30.
- [09:18]
Billy Corgan
Sure, sure. And I wish I was 23 too. But. But my point is, in the new world, gotta remember the world I grew up in, 50 was like, you're done. Even they would ask the Stones, like, you're done, right? And here we are, they're in their 80s, still doing it. So it's not unreasonable to think that you. If you want. You have 30 plus years if you want it. So this kind of hyperbolic venting that goes on around you, I find really kind of, Kind of creepy, you know what I mean? Because, you know, I've known. I've known children, famous people. Lisa Marie Presley was. Was a close friend of mine. And there's other people I don't want to talk about, but Lisa in particular. You know, I helped Lisa at one point. She was recording and she had an amazing voice. She had that Elvis kind of. Yeah. I mean, that's like genetics, right? It's like, hello. And, you know, she had her father's good looks and all that stuff, and it was really, really hard for her to escape the shadow of Elvis.
- [10:24]
Wolfgang Van Halen
You know, I'm the individuality.
- [10:26]
Billy Corgan
Hello. I mean, it's Elvis. And she looked like Elvis, you know. So my point of saying this to you is I'm absolutely convinced that if, if, if, if your father cat any. By the way, as a guitar player, your father casts a shadow on all of us. I remember being in my bedroom at 16 going, I can't play. I'm on fire. But I'm gonna try. Right? You know?
- [10:52]
Wolfgang Van Halen
Yeah.
- [10:52]
Billy Corgan
With Michael hitting the very high. God bless him.
- [10:56]
Wolfgang Van Halen
Yeah.
- [10:57]
Billy Corgan
It's all sense memories, Right. If people aren't convinced that you are gonna step out of that long shadow, I'm convinced that you will.
- [11:08]
Wolfgang Van Halen
That's very kind.
- [11:10]
Billy Corgan
And it would be. It's a little bit dread. Like, you're out of the shadow. No, musical geniuses cast a big shadow. The fact that he's your father is certainly part of your story, but we live in the music business. Okay. Anybody who picks up a guitar, it's like, well, are you as good as Zakk Wylde or Randy Rhodes or Jakey Lee or.
- [11:32]
Wolfgang Van Halen
Yeah, it's a tough thing about, like, are you as good as. Because, like, I gotta tell you a.
- [11:37]
Billy Corgan
Funny story, but keep going.
- [11:37]
Wolfgang Van Halen
Yeah. Like, you don't need to be the best to write something that can resonate with somebody. I think you're time. I. You know, anytime a video of me goes viral of me doing a solo or something, there's always people going like, single hand tapping. Let's. You know. And it's like, I'm not trying to do something complicated. I'm just doing something that I enjoy that I think sounds good.
- [11:57]
Billy Corgan
Well, let's give some information for the nerds. I'm going to give it from my perspective. I did see, because I think it sort of dovetails into it. The song I'm all right now, whether it's true or not. Was it I saw where Something about you were reacting to people's kind of constant negativity. Is that accurate?
- [12:19]
Wolfgang Van Halen
Yeah, I think maybe. That song, if more compared to any other mammoth song, is certainly a criticism of people's sort of plan they have for me without taking my feelings into consideration.
- [12:35]
Billy Corgan
Don't you think it's kind of weird that people expect you to sound like Van Halen?
- [12:38]
Wolfgang Van Halen
Yeah, they want me to either sound like Van Halen or play Van Halen. They want me to play Van Halen. They want me to be like my dad. But if I was, I'm riding coattails. But I'm not. But I am.
- [12:48]
Billy Corgan
Well, it's. It's, you know, it's a setup. Yeah, it's a setup.
- [12:52]
Wolfgang Van Halen
Yeah.
- [12:52]
Billy Corgan
Just as long as, you know, it's a setup.
- [12:54]
Wolfgang Van Halen
I'm just doing what makes me happy.
- [12:55]
Billy Corgan
And, you know. You know the great country singer Hank Williams, so. Hank Williams, Jr. Well, Hank Williams died when Hank Jr. Was very young. The mother pushed him on a stage at eight years old and had him singing Hank Williams songs because they needed the money, quite frankly. And Hank Williams at some point was like, to hell with this. And he busted out and was like, I'm gonna do my own music. Was heavily criticized. You ain't your daddy. Hank Williams, Country Music hall of Fame. One of the most influential musicians of all time in any genre. So I don't know why people aren't willing to give you that opportunity. I find that annoying.
- [13:39]
Wolfgang Van Halen
It's a really funny put down of like, you'll never be your dad. And when it's like, no, I'm not, and nobody else ever will be, I'm not trying.
- [13:48]
Billy Corgan
Well, start here. You know, nobody but nobody, and it's been a good. What, Van Halen? One came out in 77. Okay. As far as I'm concerned, nobody's topped your father. Okay. So start there. Right. You know what I'm saying? So to put that on you, like, somehow it's your cross to bear. I find that really weird.
- [14:08]
Wolfgang Van Halen
Yeah. That I'm not legitimate unless I rise above that in some way. And it's. It's.
- [14:14]
Billy Corgan
That's so weird to me.
- [14:15]
Wolfgang Van Halen
Yeah. I feel like if people actually.
- [14:17]
Billy Corgan
If a basketball player's dad won five championships and the son won two, does it mean the son wasn't.
- [14:23]
Wolfgang Van Halen
He'll never be his dad.
- [14:25]
Billy Corgan
It's kind of weird.
- [14:26]
Wolfgang Van Halen
It is. We're all different people, and I'm doing something completely different.
- [14:30]
Billy Corgan
Yeah.
- [14:31]
Wolfgang Van Halen
Like my dad couldn't, you know, record every single instrument to the level I am on. Mammoth. You Know, he would tell you that he loved it. He was so proud of it. He, you know, he knew the.
- [14:42]
Billy Corgan
Well, I knew your dad a little bit. You know, I used to send faxes to your house, and I know he read them. He just wouldn't respond, but I know he read them. I would just send him nice notes, you know, basically, like, admire you and I hope you. Well, that's awesome. Fax is. That's how long ago it was.
- [14:56]
Wolfgang Van Halen
We still have that machine up at the studio. It's still okay.
- [14:58]
Billy Corgan
You know, the fax machine I'm talking about. It's like, you want to communicate with me, write me a fax. I do a bad impression of your dad, but it's always the cigarette.
- [15:07]
Wolfgang Van Halen
Yeah.
- [15:07]
Billy Corgan
Um, but like I said, I know your dad a little bit. Spent some good time with him here and there, and he even honored me at one point, coming to one of my shows. I was like, oh, my God, this is crazy. It was a real honor to see him in the audience. I don't get the feeling he would want you to be him.
- [15:25]
Wolfgang Van Halen
No, he never did. He.
- [15:28]
Billy Corgan
Right.
- [15:28]
Wolfgang Van Halen
He enjoyed playing with me. That was one of his favorite things. And it was a big reason why the years of Van Halen where I was involved, happened at all.
- [15:38]
Billy Corgan
Yeah. And you started in Van Halen when you were 15, right? Is that the right number?
- [15:41]
Wolfgang Van Halen
Yeah.
- [15:42]
Billy Corgan
Okay. He obviously trusted you. He put you in arenas full of people.
- [15:47]
Wolfgang Van Halen
Well, it wasn't just him, too. It was Al. It was everybody. It was Roth at the time. You know, it was the whole crew. They all trusted me. It wasn't just.
- [15:56]
Billy Corgan
That's a big organization. Yeah.
- [15:58]
Wolfgang Van Halen
You know, and I know how ridiculous it sounds to trust a 15 year old to. To do that, but I wouldn't have been there had they not known I was capable.
- [16:07]
Billy Corgan
Right. So that's what I'm saying. There's plenty of evidence to suggest that your father was proud of you. He trusted you, he believed in you, and he encouraged you to chase your own musical dream. So I don't understand what people don't understand about that. Again, I don't want to talk about that. But contextually, I think everything we talk about is me sort of putting it in the light of, like, I think it's time that the story turns over to, like, what's Wolf gonna do with his life? And then maybe you agree with me, maybe you wouldn't. It's like, okay, when all's said and done, will you look at what I've created and will you say, he did his best. You know what I'm saying?
- [16:49]
Wolfgang Van Halen
Well, I think there's a lot of pride involved, too, I think, because when I did the Taylor Hawkins tribute where I played those two Van Halen songs for Taylor and for my dad, it was a big moment for me because it was, one, proving that I could do it.
- [17:07]
Billy Corgan
Yeah.
- [17:08]
Wolfgang Van Halen
And two, showing that I choose not to. And I think that.
- [17:11]
Billy Corgan
Can you explain the choose not to bit?
- [17:14]
Wolfgang Van Halen
I think my dad actually had a quote when they ended up doing a lot of COVID songs. It was on Diver Down. There was a lot specifically in that album. And he said, I'd rather bomb with my own material than succeed with someone else's.
- [17:25]
Billy Corgan
Right.
- [17:26]
Wolfgang Van Halen
And I feel very much that way. Like, I could very easily shack up and do you know, Wolf does Van Halen and do that and probably make a decent living at it. But that's.
- [17:37]
Billy Corgan
That's why Hank Jr. Came to mind.
- [17:39]
Wolfgang Van Halen
It's very.
- [17:40]
Billy Corgan
It's like a weird expectation.
- [17:41]
Wolfgang Van Halen
It's very hollow and astoundingly, creatively unfulfilling. So I just. I can't. I feel like it's kind of selling out, and I. I could never do that. That's not satisfying to me. I would rather bomb on my own than succeed with what my dad laid before me.
- [17:58]
Billy Corgan
Yeah. And I was trying to think of other rock progeny, and you're one of the only ones I can think of that's actually been successful. I mean, I'm sure there are, but most don't get out. And you have. So why are we still. And I'm collective. The we. Why are we still talking about this? And I'm here. I am talking about it, but I. I'm frustrated, maybe on your behalf, and I don't know you, but as somebody who's a fan and somebody who loved your father, I. I'm not saying I'm trying to defend it for him, but it's just annoying.
- [18:32]
Wolfgang Van Halen
Well, it's a funny thing when you see the people who are the strongest Van Halen fans outwardly acting in a way that my dad would be disgusted with. And. And they. They don't see that.
- [18:44]
Billy Corgan
Well, let me tell you a story. Might make you laugh. So I. I went solo. I had a band that broke after Pumpkins broke up. I had a band for a hot second, and then I went solo. So I'm touring. You know, I'm in Belgium with my weird solo project. It's all electronic, and I'm acting all weird, and. And people are screaming at me to play pumpkin songs, and I Said in the press, I'm not gonna play Pumpkin songs. And I remember I was in Belgium. It's this weird old venue in Ghent, G H E N T. And, you know, sometimes the awkward silence between songs, and I heard a guy with like a, you know, a Belgian accent. Why can't you play Pumpkin? You know what I mean? And I just went in the mic because I don't want to, you know, like. And that's people chasing me down with my own music.
- [19:35]
Wolfgang Van Halen
It's a very weird disconnect that I think, in a way that. And it's a very hotly debated topic to this day, that I think as a consumer, they think they own you to a certain extent.
- [19:48]
Billy Corgan
Why do you think that is? Cause I'm saying I understand. Cause I've experienced it my own.
- [19:53]
Wolfgang Van Halen
I don't know. It's their choice to spend their own money on an album, but at that point, the transaction is over. They don't own you, and you're not. It's a very weird thing. And I don't know how to quantify it or explain it, but I think, you know, it's. It's an artist's full right to do what they want.
- [20:13]
Billy Corgan
Yeah.
- [20:13]
Wolfgang Van Halen
And that you have a choice to buy the album. You have a choice to go see the concert, but you don't own them.
- [20:20]
Billy Corgan
Yeah.
- [20:20]
Wolfgang Van Halen
You know.
- [20:21]
Billy Corgan
Yeah. I've got it sometimes in airports. Like, if it wasn't for me, you wouldn't live in a big house. And I was like, no, actually, I still would. Sorry. Sorry, bro. I'm good.
- [20:31]
Wolfgang Van Halen
Yeah, it's a very weird. What's the word I'm looking for? Just the entitlement is. Is.
- [20:37]
Billy Corgan
Yeah. I don't understand it as social media.
- [20:40]
Wolfgang Van Halen
Is, you know, has poisoned it a thousand fold over the last 15 years.
- [20:44]
Billy Corgan
Yeah. Let's talk about you. So. And I hope you understand why I wanted to contextualize that.
- [20:52]
Wolfgang Van Halen
Of course.
- [20:52]
Billy Corgan
Okay, cool. What was it that you were listening to as a kid that you were like, that, you know, made you want to pick up a guitar? Like, you know, made you want to be a musician?
- [21:02]
Wolfgang Van Halen
It's a funny thing. I. I started on drums, and so.
- [21:06]
Billy Corgan
I want to talk about that too, but go ahead, please.
- [21:08]
Wolfgang Van Halen
Yeah. A big thing I bonded over with my dad was AC DC and interesting.
- [21:14]
Billy Corgan
Did he like acdc?
- [21:15]
Wolfgang Van Halen
Yeah, acdc. He really liked Tori Amos. And his favorite album of all time, along with one of my favorite albums, is so By Peter Gabriel.
- [21:25]
Billy Corgan
Okay.
- [21:26]
Wolfgang Van Halen
So he had a very eclectic taste, but ACDC is something I remember he showed Me, the song Big Balls. When I was. When we were on a road trip.
- [21:35]
Billy Corgan
Father's son story.
- [21:36]
Wolfgang Van Halen
We were on a road trip. And it just. I loved it so much. I loved Bon Scott's voice and I was enamored with Malcolm Young's rhythm guitar aggression.
- [21:45]
Billy Corgan
Amazing.
- [21:46]
Wolfgang Van Halen
Yeah. One of the best.
- [21:48]
Billy Corgan
That's definitely the secret sauce in acdc.
- [21:50]
Wolfgang Van Halen
Absolutely.
- [21:51]
Billy Corgan
Malcolm.
- [21:52]
Wolfgang Van Halen
What really set me out on like individually finding what pushed me to be a better musician was Blink182. I got enema of the State and learning how to play Travis Barker's drum parts on it is what.
- [22:07]
Billy Corgan
Yeah, Travis, very cool drummer.
- [22:08]
Wolfgang Van Halen
Yeah, he's really, really good. And I think from there I didn't find a level up until I started listening to Tool and trying to learn Danny Carey's parts.
- [22:19]
Billy Corgan
Good luck with that.
- [22:20]
Wolfgang Van Halen
Yeah. And. But when it came to like guitar and stuff, I mean, it was really everything.
- [22:27]
Billy Corgan
I'm more. I guess I'm more interested in song.
- [22:29]
Wolfgang Van Halen
Yeah. Song wise, it was.
- [22:30]
Billy Corgan
It was like, who. Who in your mind was like, I wish I could write songs like that. You know, Trent Reznor. Okay.
- [22:37]
Wolfgang Van Halen
Dave Grohl. You know, I think Alison Chains was another big one for me.
- [22:45]
Billy Corgan
Jerry's such a amazing writer.
- [22:47]
Wolfgang Van Halen
Yeah. Yeah. And I think those. Another big band for me growing up was Jimmy Eat World, I thought. I think they get unfairly pigeonholed into a one hit wonder sort of thing with the middle when I think they are a very unique band that I really love. But yeah, you know, it just. The respect for the song more than anything, rather than, you know, doing a wank off solo here.
- [23:12]
Billy Corgan
Yeah. I hear that in your music. Your songs are very strong.
- [23:15]
Wolfgang Van Halen
Yeah. Thank you. I have more respect for. Does this serve the song?
- [23:20]
Billy Corgan
Sure.
- [23:20]
Wolfgang Van Halen
Or not.
- [23:21]
Billy Corgan
Yeah.
- [23:21]
Wolfgang Van Halen
And I think that's why it's okay. You know, I'm recording right now and there are many moments in it where I was like, I could do this, but I'd rather just focus on the groove. Sometimes simplifying things are what makes it heavier, impactful.
- [23:34]
Billy Corgan
I feel like you're. I can kind of see where you're going, but, you know, you gotta tell me. But I feel like you're still putting together certain elemental things. It's strong, don't get me wrong, but I can kind of hear you're still reaching for things that you don't quite have. The. In our band, we call it languaging. It's like you develop your own language of it.
- [23:55]
Wolfgang Van Halen
Yeah. I think I'm having fun finding these different. Expanding the sound and finding where the limits are. Sure. I think the first album was very much a comfy rock album. And when it came to the second one, I was itching more to do some. You focus on more virtuoso esque things, like some more solo moments on guitar now that I was comfortable.
- [24:17]
Billy Corgan
Yeah.
- [24:18]
Wolfgang Van Halen
And even some, you know, syncopated double kick stuff like on the song. Right on that. On that second album. And now that I think I've gotten that out of my system, I'm having fun really focusing on.
- [24:28]
Billy Corgan
Yeah, I think it's interesting. I, you know, I didn't know that. I think I knew somewhere in the back of my brain that you played everything on your records. But when I saw the saw that you started on drums, it was like, oh, your guitar playing made more sense to me. Rhythmic, a lot of polyrhythmic stuff. And then of course, what people skip past is, you know, your uncle's Alex Van Halen, who's a phenomenal drummer. I think if you've got these two familial influences. Right. I guess what I'm saying is that, like, it put pieces together for me, like, because everyone obviously goes to one side of the room with your dad. But, you know, that polyrhythmic thing that's in a lot of your uncle and dad's music and yours is like, it's a cool, different take on it. I don't know how to put it. I'm not saying it's the family brand. It put pieces together for me and your music because the first thing I heard when I heard your first record was there was some good riffing. But, like, if you think of like, Jerry Cantrell, he plays certain tonalities, certain riffs, and you go, that's Jerry Cantrell.
- [25:36]
Wolfgang Van Halen
Yeah.
- [25:37]
Billy Corgan
And I think you've developed the thing that's like, I know it's you now.
- [25:40]
Wolfgang Van Halen
Yeah. I'm starting to find out what those are. Like.
- [25:42]
Billy Corgan
Yeah, it's cool. I'm.
- [25:43]
Wolfgang Van Halen
I'm realizing I. I do use a lot of, like, major chord inflections and a lot of. God, what's the word? I can't.
- [25:51]
Billy Corgan
Nerd.
- [25:52]
Wolfgang Van Halen
Yeah.
- [25:52]
Billy Corgan
Nerd stuff. Yeah.
- [25:55]
Wolfgang Van Halen
A lot of chromatic.
- [25:57]
Billy Corgan
Yes. Yeah, a lot of stuff.
- [25:59]
Wolfgang Van Halen
Chromatic major is kind of where my. My Comfy.
- [26:03]
Billy Corgan
Have you listened to Gershwin at all? I would highly recommend listening to Gershwin. Well, Gershwin's the master at major key, diatonic passing chords just blow your mind. You got to go deep into Gershwin. Will do. I'm not. I don't know what your musical tastes are Outside of rock, but he's like the supreme master. Like everyone goes to Rhapsody in Blue because it's this, you know, it's this pivotal moment in music. But you go deep into Gershwin's songwriting, which is, I think, why so many jazz musicians like to play over Gershwin. For sure. There's always this beautiful tone poem stuff going on in between chords and that's what most rock guys misses. A G. It's all the little notes that sort of the personality part of it. I also want to praise you in that I really like that you, we call it go into ground. Like you're out there working. Oh, yeah. You're touring, you're building up an audience the old fashioned way. Like, I'm here to play. I got a good band. I watched some live clips. You today, band sounds great. You sound great.
- [27:07]
Wolfgang Van Halen
Thank you.
- [27:08]
Billy Corgan
You know what I mean?
- [27:08]
Wolfgang Van Halen
I've been hitting it hard. This year is probably one of the busiest years of my life.
- [27:12]
Billy Corgan
That's what I mean. It's like you're out there working and you know, you know, you grew up in la. You could be sitting somewhere, you know, staring at a sunset. I mean, it's, it's, it's grueling. You're married now.
- [27:25]
Wolfgang Van Halen
I want to work though. You know, I want to earn this.
- [27:29]
Billy Corgan
Yeah.
- [27:29]
Wolfgang Van Halen
I don't want to be given anything.
- [27:31]
Billy Corgan
Right. You know, there's not an ounce of entitlement in you. You know what I mean?
- [27:36]
Wolfgang Van Halen
Thank you.
- [27:37]
Billy Corgan
So that's what I'm saying. It's like the musician in me is like, okay, he's working mean. I'm not trying to defend you. I hope you understand where I'm coming from.
- [27:45]
Wolfgang Van Halen
I, I, I do think it's, you know, I could just as easily be some up with a coke problem on a yacht, you know, living off of my dad's name. But you could do that. That's, that's an option.
- [27:56]
Billy Corgan
But that's not, unfortunately, that's, that's, unfortunately, that's a, that's the majority out here.
- [28:00]
Wolfgang Van Halen
That's a whole lot of people in my position.
- [28:01]
Billy Corgan
I mean, how many people, you know, with famous parents that are like, they're, they're, they're never going to do. Yeah, that's because they don't want to work or they don't want to deal with adversity.
- [28:10]
Wolfgang Van Halen
And I just, I would rather make my own name. Unfortunately, when I have the name Van Halen, it's tough to do.
- [28:18]
Billy Corgan
I'm saying this is a family thing, so you take it however you want. Who in your family gives you this sort of resolve to. Not to fight, but to be strong in what you're doing.
- [28:29]
Wolfgang Van Halen
I mean, my dad certainly did. He's the one who raised me to be an independent musician and person as well as my mother, you know, And I think I'm really glad I didn't pigeonhole myself as a. As a musician into just trying to recreate what my dad does. And it's like, while I could do that and to a certain extent, it's in me, I take a different approach with it, and I'm very well.
- [28:55]
Billy Corgan
What's your. Because your mom obviously has a very interesting front row seat. You know what I mean? What's her take on that vibe?
- [29:02]
Wolfgang Van Halen
She's just very proud. I know she was very nervous initially when I joined van Halen at 15.
- [29:08]
Billy Corgan
Was she worried you were gonna go off the rails, maybe, or just, you know, just mom stuff?
- [29:12]
Wolfgang Van Halen
Yeah, mom stuff. Yeah. But I think now she. She trusts me, that I've been able to prove myself as my own individual. And she is certainly as. As proud as can be. I mean, her social media handle is Wolfie's Mom. So I think that says everything.
- [29:28]
Billy Corgan
I follow your mother, so I'm aware of the love that a mother has for her son. I'm not trying to stay on the negative stuff because it gets boring.
- [29:39]
Wolfgang Van Halen
There's a lot of negative stuff, so feel free.
- [29:42]
Billy Corgan
No, I'm not. I find it boring. And I'm not saying it's boring to you when you're going through it. I guess what I'm trying to say is I know what it's like to be on stage. You're in a great mood, you want to play, and you can feel there's this vibe out there, you know, how do you navigate that in real time? We dealt with our own version of it. Well, you're not Nirvana. Well, you're not, you know, you're not Pearl Jammer, whatever. And, you know, as a musician, not as a person in the moment, you got to figure out with your people how to attack that so that when you leave that stage, they go, you know what? There's something there. I wasn't expecting that. And by the way, might make you laugh. I'm 57 years old. I still deal with it. I still deal with it. I can feel that vibe.
- [30:36]
Wolfgang Van Halen
Oh, yeah. I guarantee you there's at least 20% of every crowd at our show that leaves disappointed. I didn't play Panama.
- [30:43]
Billy Corgan
You know, good song, Great song.
- [30:46]
Wolfgang Van Halen
Not a mammoth song.
- [30:48]
Billy Corgan
Exactly.
- [30:49]
Wolfgang Van Halen
You know, there is. There A usual play eruption in any, in any. Pause.
- [30:54]
Billy Corgan
Sure.
- [30:55]
Wolfgang Van Halen
You know, but that's to be expected. People are drinking, people are being dumb, you know. Yeah, whatever, it's cool.
- [31:00]
Billy Corgan
But again, I'm, I'm more interested in the positive side. Like, how do you, how, how do you adjust? Look, if you're, if you're, if you're, you don't have a name, right? You have a name from your family. I have a name that I've built up over time that creates an expectation. But you, you know, you, you, you, you're working with something. If you're nobody and nobody knows who you are. And that was me at one point in my life. You know, when you got a bar full of people drinking, you know, you have to figure out a musical solution. You know, it's not like, hey, be nice to me. You know, I'm saying it's like, what is your musical solution? Is it to have a great band? Is it to write better? Like, what's your, what's your plan there?
- [31:43]
Wolfgang Van Halen
For me, it's to have great songs that I think if you were given the album at any point, you could find at least one song that, that, that you would enjoy.
- [31:53]
Billy Corgan
Yeah, you know, I, I listen, I.
- [31:54]
Wolfgang Van Halen
Listen to, It's a wide breadth.
- [31:55]
Billy Corgan
I listened to the first album when it came out and I, I, I, I was like, wow, okay.
- [31:58]
Wolfgang Van Halen
You know, there's something, there's something like distance, if you like, you know, a down tempo sort of emotional pop song. But then there's heavy stuff, like, you know, heavy arena, you know, rock, like back down or, you know, then there's solo heavy stuff like you're to blame. That's just talking about the first album or like sort of a sludgy.
- [32:15]
Billy Corgan
But my point is, is the second album. I hear you growing as a musician. I hear you getting more confident. I hear you kind of spreading your wings a little bit more with what you want to say. And that's every artist that's going somewhere. That's how it should be. You know, it's like, should get better and better. So. But when you're out there in front of a live crowd, like, what's the. Sorry, I can't remember the name of the song. Something about the world blowing up the.
- [32:38]
Wolfgang Van Halen
World or another celebration at the end of the world.
- [32:41]
Billy Corgan
Okay, but I watched some live clip and you were opening with that song. Yeah, so then I watched that and then I went back and listened to the album version and I like that the live version was a little bit more aggressive than The. Than. The. Than the album version, we always tend.
- [32:54]
Wolfgang Van Halen
To play a couple bpm faster live.
- [32:56]
Billy Corgan
Right. But I'm saying, I. That's. On some level, that's a musical thing of like, okay, I'm gonna. I gotta come out here and hit this hard.
- [33:03]
Wolfgang Van Halen
Well, that was. You know, I think the. What I like about what we've set up so far is that we have that wide breadth in musical variety to where we can sort of chameleon our way into opening for other bands. Like, for example, we've been opening for Metallica for the last two years. We just finished that up. That's a tough band to open for. So we found that.
- [33:25]
Billy Corgan
Been there, done that.
- [33:27]
Wolfgang Van Halen
Yeah. So we've found that the crowd responded most to tempo and obviously more heavier songs. So we just took all the heavy songs that we could play and all the fast songs we could play in our catalog and just. That's what we did. And it worked.
- [33:42]
Billy Corgan
Yeah.
- [33:43]
Wolfgang Van Halen
But, hell, we could open for Taylor Swift if we wanted to. We have enough pop songs that it's like, we could just play an acoustic set and there you go.
- [33:49]
Billy Corgan
You've been through enough. I think you're really asking for it there. Even I don't have that kind of confidence.
- [33:55]
Wolfgang Van Halen
That's my. That's my. I guess my move is to have that sort of wide breadth where you can fit anywhere.
- [34:01]
Billy Corgan
But don't you think that's a bit of a. You're. I'm going to sound like an old guy, but your generation is different about those types of. Like, my generation was very much like, you're in this category. Which is why I said I wanted to interview your father.
- [34:14]
Wolfgang Van Halen
Yeah.
- [34:15]
Billy Corgan
Because back then it was like, Van Halen's a rock band. They're not alternative. So if you like alternative, you count. You know, it's the same crap.
- [34:22]
Wolfgang Van Halen
Yeah, I guess. I'm not.
- [34:23]
Billy Corgan
Your generation seems to be more like, hey, it's all good.
- [34:25]
Wolfgang Van Halen
Yeah. I think any. If it sounds. My dad would always say, if it sounds good, than it is good. And I think that's what I.
- [34:30]
Billy Corgan
You know, the Duke Ellington quote. There's two types of music, good and bad.
- [34:34]
Wolfgang Van Halen
Yeah, totally.
- [34:34]
Billy Corgan
Right. Yeah.
- [34:35]
Wolfgang Van Halen
And I think that's. So going back to your initial question, I think having, you know, a breadth of music where you can kind of chameleon your way into other spots, but just having a good band and good songs and playing them well, you know, I think the biggest thing for me is. And a big criticism that I was given because nobody ever believed I was playing anything was that I was faking and I was playing the tracks or something.
- [35:01]
Billy Corgan
What?
- [35:02]
Wolfgang Van Halen
Yeah, yeah. And you play.
- [35:04]
Billy Corgan
You play super tight live.
- [35:06]
Wolfgang Van Halen
Thank you.
- [35:07]
Billy Corgan
I mean, that's. And you're saying it.
- [35:09]
Wolfgang Van Halen
Yeah. It's very important for me that we don't use tracks. The only thing we play to is a quick track.
- [35:14]
Billy Corgan
Okay. You know, why do you play the click track?
- [35:16]
Wolfgang Van Halen
It just kind of keeps it together. It's just more fun. Sometimes it's fun to not, you know.
- [35:20]
Billy Corgan
Yeah.
- [35:21]
Wolfgang Van Halen
There's a metal band, Meshuggah, I love very much, and sometimes they just go into a song where you don't even hear a count off. And I think that's really cool.
- [35:27]
Billy Corgan
Oh, okay. Yeah.
- [35:28]
Wolfgang Van Halen
But I don't know, it just kind of holds it together. But I, I. You know, that's a big debate on tracks. I, I personally think there shouldn't be any lead vocal tracks. There shouldn't be any background tracks. There shouldn't be any main guitar. No. No drums. Like, for us, it. What you're seeing is us, and it's different. It's not the album. It's live thing.
- [35:46]
Billy Corgan
Yeah.
- [35:47]
Wolfgang Van Halen
And I think what we've been doing the past three years is working on being the best performance kind of band that you can think. We don't have a show. The show is us. You come to see us play our songs as great as well as possible.
- [36:01]
Billy Corgan
If you want a free suggestion. One thing that I found when I was younger is sometimes finding the right song to cover it allow you to add a different musical layer to your set. Yeah, we even Foo Fighters. You see where Gro would do and Taylor would come out and sing Queen or whatever. It allows you to kind of create a different scene in the movie that you're playing live without having to figure it out. And what we always did is we just do our own version of it.
- [36:29]
Wolfgang Van Halen
Yeah, we actually did that for a little bit. We covered them bones.
- [36:32]
Billy Corgan
Oh, wow.
- [36:34]
Wolfgang Van Halen
My guitar player, my other guitar player. We have three. John has a really good singing voice, and so we were able to do those.
- [36:40]
Billy Corgan
I have a funny story for you that involves that song, if you want to hear it.
- [36:43]
Wolfgang Van Halen
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
- [36:44]
Billy Corgan
So the Pumpkins are trying to get signed 1990, and Columbia Records was interested in signing the band. We didn't sign with them. So I go to, you know, the Tower, wherever they were, and Donnie Einer was the president, you know, Notorious, like, and I go in this office, and he's literally not. That you can see on tv. Like, see where that chair is over there?
- [37:09]
Wolfgang Van Halen
Yeah.
- [37:09]
Billy Corgan
Okay. He. He's sitting that far away from me behind a desk, and for some reason, I'm all the way on the other end of the room, right? And as I'm sitting there, he's on the phone. As I'm looking around, it's like, to Donnie, Mick, and Keith, you know, autographs, you know, everywhere I look, it's like, I love you, Donnie, Stevie Wonder, you know, whatever, right? So it's totally intimidating. I was 23 or something. And he goes, who's gonna produce your first record? I go, probably Butch Vig. Now, Butch Vig at that point had not done Nevermind.
- [37:48]
Wolfgang Van Halen
Wow.
- [37:49]
Billy Corgan
Butch Vick had done some demos with Nirvana, and we wanted him to produce what became our first ALB Gish, which went on to be very successful. But nobody knew who Butch was. Never heard of him. He goes, what about Dave Jordan? And Dave Jordan had done Jane's Addiction.
- [38:06]
Wolfgang Van Halen
Yeah.
- [38:07]
Billy Corgan
Nothing shocking, stuff like that. I go, well, people say we sound a little bit like Jane's. That's probably a bad idea. He goes, listen to this. And he cranks. And I'd never heard Alice in Chains.
- [38:22]
Wolfgang Van Halen
Wow.
- [38:23]
Billy Corgan
Okay. I mean, stun volume, like, concert level. Them bones.
- [38:30]
Wolfgang Van Halen
Wow.
- [38:30]
Billy Corgan
And it wasn't even out yet.
- [38:32]
Wolfgang Van Halen
That's amazing.
- [38:32]
Billy Corgan
So I'm like this, right? And it sounds amazing, you know, I mean, you know, you cover the song, it's like. It sounds amazing. Yeah. Song finishes, what do you think? Like, sounds pretty good.
- [38:44]
Wolfgang Van Halen
Loud.
- [38:45]
Billy Corgan
So is he your producer? I go, no. Like, you don't tell a guy like that. No.
- [38:51]
Wolfgang Van Halen
Yeah.
- [38:51]
Billy Corgan
So out.
- [38:53]
Wolfgang Van Halen
Wow.
- [38:53]
Billy Corgan
End of meeting. So I blame Jerry.
- [38:57]
Wolfgang Van Halen
Way to go, Jerry.
- [38:59]
Billy Corgan
God bless. I'm really curious if you have a vision for where you want to go musically. And I'm not asking the nerd, like, more polyrhythms. I'm saying, is. Is there an aspiration? Because I feel you have it in you to expand your palette out. And I'm not saying it's as simple as, like, you know, the Beatles started using orchestras, but you have a. You have an aspirational arc that you. I feel like you've got the musical harmonic ability.
- [39:26]
Wolfgang Van Halen
I just. I want something new on every. On every album. Like, I don't want every album to tread the same ground. Like, obviously, there can be core.
- [39:35]
Billy Corgan
Right?
- [39:35]
Wolfgang Van Halen
Mammoth.
- [39:36]
Billy Corgan
Okay, so what's that. What's that sound like in your brain?
- [39:39]
Wolfgang Van Halen
I think right now there are certain songs that I'm working on that have just. I don't even know how to quantify, just a different vibe, but still is tied to the sound of Mammoth, but it just kind of makes that bubble that much bigger each time, and I think.
- [39:53]
Billy Corgan
But is there a set of influences that's exciting you, or. I'm asking because I'm really curious where you want to go.
- [40:00]
Wolfgang Van Halen
Yeah. I'm trying to put. I mean, there are some riffs on this next album that are almost like Rage against the Machine. Like, there's this one song that is almost Queen in a way, you know, and those are different vibes than what we've laid out before. So I think as long as there's, you know, I have some vibes on, some ideas on a piano that I haven't really explored, and I think that'd be a fun thing to add. But overall, I guess what I just want to do is I just. I think rock, you know, it's no longer the golden genre as it was, but I think there's not a lot.
- [40:35]
Billy Corgan
But it's having a weird comeback.
- [40:37]
Wolfgang Van Halen
It is. And I just. I want to make sure that I can do my best to.
- [40:43]
Billy Corgan
You might be standing in a couple years. You might be standing in the perfect spot.
- [40:46]
Wolfgang Van Halen
I guess that's what I'm trying to do.
- [40:48]
Billy Corgan
Yeah.
- [40:48]
Wolfgang Van Halen
You know, at least holding a good light.
- [40:51]
Billy Corgan
I know you don't know me, but can I only encourage you to chase whatever you're hearing in your head? You gotta trust that because.
- [40:57]
Wolfgang Van Halen
Yeah, that's one of my.
- [40:58]
Billy Corgan
I know there's more music in you, which is why I get annoyed when people kind of do this weird, like, you know what I mean? Because as a musician. And look, you're opening for Metallica.
- [41:07]
Wolfgang Van Halen
Yeah.
- [41:08]
Billy Corgan
James Hetfield is one of the great. Like, James and Lars would not have you on there if they didn't think that you had a future.
- [41:14]
Wolfgang Van Halen
It was an honor, man.
- [41:16]
Billy Corgan
Those were serious guys. Lars really knows music, and so does James and so does Rob Trujillo. You know what I mean? And so does Kirk. Like, they're musos.
- [41:26]
Wolfgang Van Halen
Yeah.
- [41:26]
Billy Corgan
You can't be in Metallic if you don't have, like, a deep love and appreciation for music. The fact that they put it in the Metallica stew, well, that's a lot of influences coming into that stew.
- [41:37]
Wolfgang Van Halen
Yeah. It was a crazy honor to tour them for almost two years, right?
- [41:42]
Billy Corgan
Crazy. Yeah. Right. So that's what I'm saying. It's like, they don't run a charity up there.
- [41:49]
Wolfgang Van Halen
Yeah, I think that's a. That's a clear point where it's like, you know, people think that doors are just wide open for me to walk through and are just handed to me.
- [41:59]
Billy Corgan
No, this. That you. You grew up in this business. You know, it don't work like that.
- [42:03]
Wolfgang Van Halen
You have to. You have to. Sure.
- [42:06]
Billy Corgan
How long is. How long has Mammoth been going now at this point?
- [42:08]
Wolfgang Van Halen
We started touring in July of 2021.
- [42:12]
Billy Corgan
But you'd made the record before, right?
- [42:13]
Wolfgang Van Halen
I spent 2015 to 2018 making the first record. But then when my dad got sick, I kind of put everything on hold. And it wasn't until he passed in 2020 that I was like, okay, my life is completely empty, and I need something to.
- [42:34]
Billy Corgan
Yeah.
- [42:35]
Wolfgang Van Halen
Give me purpose.
- [42:36]
Billy Corgan
Yeah.
- [42:36]
Wolfgang Van Halen
And that's what I'm still doing to this day.
- [42:39]
Billy Corgan
I saw where you were talking about how he had an influence on the first record, and it makes sense to me. And then here you are in the second record. It's like, okay, well, this mentor is, you know, my pop. Right. Who'd you turn to that gave you sort of a confidence? Or, like, is it your band? Is it your. You know, I'm saying, who in your world? Like, who's your guy or girl that you go to? Go, okay, I'm going the right way.
- [43:06]
Wolfgang Van Halen
In the absence of my father, which is a heavy absence that I'm dealing with to this day. You know, his pride in me was so large that in its absence, there's just this kind of black hole sitting there. But I have my mother, I have my wife. I have Matt, who's here with me, and I have my Uncle Patrick, my mom's brother, and my good friend and manager Tim, are the. And my producer Elvis, as well, are the people that kind of see through my insecurities and try and pull.
- [43:46]
Billy Corgan
Do you think your insecurities are born of something that you were just born with and you just have to navigate it? Because if you're a sensitive person, that stuff happens.
- [43:54]
Wolfgang Van Halen
Yeah.
- [43:55]
Billy Corgan
Or do you think because you're in a particular situation, it puts you in a thing where you're like, I don't know how to navigate all this?
- [44:02]
Wolfgang Van Halen
I think it's a bit of both, honestly. I think it is the pressure of the name, but it also is just, I'm an emotional person who wants to do the right thing. It's tough to know what that is before you do it.
- [44:15]
Billy Corgan
Yeah. So I don't know what that feels like. You know, I can only tell you my version of it. I can only tell you that, like, at some point, my life became a ghost on me, and I was like, what is this?
- [44:26]
Wolfgang Van Halen
Yeah.
- [44:26]
Billy Corgan
I always make the joke, like, I get. The guy walks up to me in the airport, and he wants to talk to me about my second album. And he's talking to me like, could you talk to the guy who wrote that? I'm like, I'm here. Hello. Yeah, I wrote the second album exactly. Like, could you talk to Bill93? You know, I'm like, I'm here.
- [44:43]
Wolfgang Van Halen
Yeah.
- [44:44]
Billy Corgan
It's a funny thing, right? I don't remember what song I took this from, so you. You remind me. But I like this lyric. Hey, you, Anything is possible. Is it? Is this from the distance? Right.
- [44:56]
Wolfgang Van Halen
That's mammoth. That's the first song.
- [44:57]
Billy Corgan
Okay, sorry. Hey, you. Thank you. Hey, you, Anything is possible. You're not the only one. You let them think you're unremarkable and prove them wrong. Am I right? This is somebody talking to you.
- [45:11]
Wolfgang Van Halen
If anything, it's a little bit of both. Almost like a mantra to myself to a certain extent, but also, you know, I like to write lyrics from a perspective that I think anybody can take their own meaning from it. Okay. I really don't like when there's maybe a. I think there's always a definitive meaning for a song from somebody, But I don't like to paint people's opinions or thoughts on it prior. I like people to form their own opinions, and I like to write from a perspective that people can kind of.
- [45:39]
Billy Corgan
Is that because you want them to have that experience, or is it because you like a little bit of ambiguity?
- [45:44]
Wolfgang Van Halen
Ambiguity is nice, I think. But in the case of that song, I think it's just. There's a lot of times in my life where I've felt worthless or not able to live up to certain people's expectations that they have for me. And it's just nice to have a mantra to follow and to try in some way instill confidence, if it's possible, into yourself that you can kind of.
- [46:11]
Billy Corgan
Yeah, do it. Yeah. I was curious because we were talking about you playing everything and. Pretty good drummer. You know what I mean?
- [46:21]
Wolfgang Van Halen
Thank you.
- [46:22]
Billy Corgan
So, you know, it's a lot of talent going on here, But I am curious because, you know, my father was a musician. I don't know if you know that. So. My father was a very, very harsh critic, and he didn't rate me as a good guitar player oftentimes, so trying to live up. And my dad was a really good guitar player.
- [46:39]
Wolfgang Van Halen
Yeah.
- [46:39]
Billy Corgan
And I have a funny story I want to tell you, but. So I'm curious how your uncle rates you as a drummer.
- [46:45]
Wolfgang Van Halen
You know what? I don't know if I even asked him. I Just know he's proud of me and that he thinks I'm good.
- [46:54]
Billy Corgan
Yeah. Yeah.
- [46:55]
Wolfgang Van Halen
I've never really asked technically, though, but that's funny. I'll have to ask.
- [46:58]
Billy Corgan
Yeah, yeah. Because again, I knew I was going to talk to you. I had this memory that I hadn't thought of for a long time. My dad was a. Was a professional musician in Chicago. Started playing strip bars when he was 17. So I was born when he was 19. So I grew up always musicians everywhere. My dad, as I like to say, was always the white guy in the African American band. He loved funk, soul, R and B. That's the music. He worshiped blues.
- [47:28]
Wolfgang Van Halen
Yeah.
- [47:28]
Billy Corgan
So that's, you know, when I was 5 years old in the basement, they're down there getting stoned and playing and. And all that stuff. But as you know, when you have a musician father, they're very opinionated.
- [47:40]
Wolfgang Van Halen
Yeah.
- [47:40]
Billy Corgan
And they definitely let you know. Right.
- [47:45]
Wolfgang Van Halen
Yeah.
- [47:45]
Billy Corgan
And I'm not asking you any of those questions. I'm telling you my story. But he hated pretty much everybody on the guitar. And again, my father was a really good guitar player.
- [47:56]
Wolfgang Van Halen
Yeah.
- [47:56]
Billy Corgan
So it's not like I thought, you don't know what you're talking about, old man. He was really good and could really, really play. And he liked Stevie Rewind because he liked blues. And so him, to him, Stevie Revon rated, so. But there's this one moment where I was listening obsessively to Van Halen 1. And he had a turntable and he let me play records. And. And he came in and he was like, what are you. What are you doing? And I was trying to learn how to play. Ain't Talking About Love. You know, A minor. We all know the riff. You've played it a thousand times.
- [48:34]
Wolfgang Van Halen
A little bit.
- [48:35]
Billy Corgan
And. And it was cool because he didn't like rock music per se, but he respected your dad as a guitar player, which meant the world to me because it was like he wasn't doing like, you know, it was like, now he's good. So he thought it was valuable and he took the time to learn. It's the only song he ever taught me outside of House of the Rising Sun.
- [49:01]
Wolfgang Van Halen
Wow.
- [49:01]
Billy Corgan
Was Ain't Talking About Love. Because everyone always assumes, because my dad was a professional guitar player, that he taught me. He didn't teach me same thing. He didn't want me to play. In my case, he didn't want me to play. He did everything to keep me from playing. But when he saw that I was serious, he would occasionally sort of Point and do that. And so I have this beautiful memory of being in his. My dad used to deal drugs. So up front in the house where he lived and I live with him, you know, I'm listening to Van Halen one and I said, can you help me with that? He took the time to learn it and taught me, and then he encouraged me to listen because he said, this is a person worth listening to. It's a cool memory. Right?
- [49:43]
Wolfgang Van Halen
That's really, really cool. I think that's an important delineation that should be made about dad is that regardless of if you're a fan of the music or not, you have to respect his impact at the very least on the instrument, you know, like, it's ridiculous. Yeah. I think for some, to use a.
- [50:01]
Billy Corgan
90S word, you know.
- [50:01]
Wolfgang Van Halen
Yeah. I think for some people it's, you know, it's like, I don't like that stuff, but it's like you can't, you can't ignore, like subjective opinions are.
- [50:11]
Billy Corgan
Do you mind if I say something personal? It's. Yeah. Okay. I really, really, truly admired your father as a musician. And I was lucky enough to know him just a little bit. And when he passed away, you know, when, when somebody you really love and admire passes away, there's. You almost hold your breath a little bit. Right. Because what's the story? Like, how's this all gonna go down, right? Is somebody gonna say something stupid? Is their take not gonna be my take? It's selfish as a fan, and it blew me away, the love that came from every quarter. And I was like, wow, that's awesome. Because he was so loved as a musician. And I was like, that's, that's so rare. It's like there's only a few musicians that rate that kind of response where you've got people from every musical genre. I'm not saying that made your, your, your, your loss any easier.
- [51:17]
Wolfgang Van Halen
No.
- [51:17]
Billy Corgan
But it was cool for me as a fan.
- [51:20]
Wolfgang Van Halen
Yeah.
- [51:20]
Billy Corgan
And somebody knew him like a little bit. It was like, that's the person that I admired and I'm glad that it felt kind of cool in a weird. It's like, let's call it the silver lining of something terrible. It was like, wow, this is sweet.
- [51:33]
Wolfgang Van Halen
Yeah, it really, you know, we're, we're, we're coming up on the four year anniversary of his passing, and it's, it's not any easier. And I believe Zelda, Zelda Williams, Robin's daughter, said it in the best way that I could ever imagine, which is even, even a Truckload full of roses still weigh a ton.
- [51:52]
Billy Corgan
Okay. And why do you. You don't have to answer this. You want. But why. Why is it still so hard for you? Do you understand the way I'm asking that?
- [52:02]
Wolfgang Van Halen
Because there's so much that I can't share with him. He never got to see what.
- [52:09]
Billy Corgan
I get that.
- [52:09]
Wolfgang Van Halen
What happened with Mammoth. He never got to see me get married. He never got to see me have kids eventually. You know, and those are some tentpole moments that will always have a tinge of sadness to Parouan.
- [52:21]
Billy Corgan
I get it.
- [52:21]
Wolfgang Van Halen
It's tough.
- [52:22]
Billy Corgan
I lost my mom when I was 29. Right. Sorry. Oh, thank you. But right at the peak of everything going crazy.
- [52:29]
Wolfgang Van Halen
Yeah.
- [52:30]
Billy Corgan
And. And you have those moments where you're like, she never met the grandkids. She didn't see me lose my mind in 98. You know what I mean? So I get it. I really. I really do understand. I hope you find the peace in that.
- [52:42]
Wolfgang Van Halen
I know he'd be proud. You know, he'd be losing it.
- [52:46]
Billy Corgan
Yeah. Yeah. But. But, you know, grieving is such a complicated process. You know, they're still really studying it.
- [52:53]
Wolfgang Van Halen
Yeah.
- [52:55]
Billy Corgan
You know, and I hope that you. There's that moment, hopefully, in everybody's grief where it. It turns from a hollow hurt to a sweetness. And I hope you. I hope you find that spot.
- [53:08]
Wolfgang Van Halen
Yeah. I think I'm in that halfway period, maybe.
- [53:10]
Billy Corgan
Okay.
- [53:10]
Wolfgang Van Halen
You know.
- [53:11]
Billy Corgan
Yeah, I lost my pop couple years ago, about. Almost three years ago. You know, he was a hardcore partier and totally abused himself. And we didn't always have the best relationship. So I've lost both my parents now. And like I said, it's almost three years, and I'm just now getting around to kind of dealing with it.
- [53:29]
Wolfgang Van Halen
Yeah.
- [53:30]
Billy Corgan
I spent, like, the first year kind of like, yeah, I'm okay. You know, we were all right. It's all good. You know, he lived as he died. He died as he lived. He wanted to go out, you know, living a dream.
- [53:39]
Wolfgang Van Halen
Yeah.
- [53:40]
Billy Corgan
So it's very complicated. And. And I think maybe that's one other part that annoys me. For as much love as your father engendered from his fans and as much as he contributed to American culture, not only world culture. I mean, I remember being in a pool in 1979. The date dance the Night Away came out as a single. Okay. I'm 1112 years old in a pool in Glendale Heights, Illinois, and it was the song of summer.
- [54:14]
Wolfgang Van Halen
Yeah.
- [54:15]
Billy Corgan
Like, I will forever have that sunshine on my face. And going, what the hell? Is this. And the beautiful chorus.
- [54:21]
Wolfgang Van Halen
Oh, yeah.
- [54:22]
Billy Corgan
Right. So that's part of what irritates me is you're. You're still a person in mourning. You know what I mean? There used to be a respect in our world for, like, let that person have some time to themselves.
- [54:38]
Wolfgang Van Halen
Social media has completely eroded that.
- [54:41]
Billy Corgan
Oh, yeah.
- [54:41]
Wolfgang Van Halen
And now we have generations growing up in that. And so the empathy isn't even involved, and they. They don't even know what it was like, prior. And it's a really tough thing. Yeah.
- [54:53]
Billy Corgan
So I don't know how people don't do the math of, hey, if I love Eddie or if I love Van Halen, how can I not extend that love and empathy to his child?
- [55:04]
Wolfgang Van Halen
Yeah. Why does it immediately turn negative?
- [55:07]
Billy Corgan
Well, that says something about them. It doesn't say anything about you, of course.
- [55:11]
Wolfgang Van Halen
It's just a very interesting phenomenon, you.
- [55:14]
Billy Corgan
Know, and he named you Wolfgang for a reason. You know what I mean? Last thing, when I wrote this question today, when I was preparing to interview you, and I want to give my answer, and so I hope it doesn't come off wrong, because I respect you, and that's why I wanted to talk to you. You know, I'm poking around as you do. Right. It's the Internet, and I come across this thread, and the thread was, would you still listen to him if his last name wasn't Ben Halen? So I'm like, okay, I'm going to wade in here. And it was like, wow, this is weird. Weird. And so you can react if you want. You can just say, whatever. That's the world. My opinion is, yes. If you were named Wolfgang Johnson and you had a band called Crazy Kids, and I heard your number one song on the radio or your number one record or whatever, I think this kid has something. I don't know what. Why people can't get that. Yeah.
- [56:28]
Wolfgang Van Halen
It's a tough thing because we don't. We don't live in that world.
- [56:32]
Billy Corgan
But what would you want them to? It's weird because you know and I know. It's a fool's gold. Yeah.
- [56:36]
Wolfgang Van Halen
It's impossible.
- [56:37]
Billy Corgan
Nothing you say and nothing I say is going to change that.
- [56:40]
Wolfgang Van Halen
I would love people to judge me on my own merits, but I said it's impossible for certain people.
- [56:45]
Billy Corgan
Okay, so I'm sitting here as a musician, right? And I'm saying, you belong. You're one of us. You're a musician like me. You grew up in a musical family. The fact that my dad didn't make it doesn't change at all my relationship to my pop. My father was my hero. So I'm saying it's not fair, but I resonate with you in a particular way. I know what it was like to have my father stare at me when I was playing the guitar and think, am I living up to his expectations? You know what I'm saying?
- [57:17]
Wolfgang Van Halen
Yeah.
- [57:17]
Billy Corgan
I get it. Even though I don't know your circumstance.
- [57:20]
Wolfgang Van Halen
It'S a funny thing because people. There are some people who just hate me because I exist. And there's nothing I can do about the way I was grown, the way I grown up.
- [57:31]
Billy Corgan
Is that because they think you have some privilege? Yeah.
- [57:33]
Wolfgang Van Halen
And that's certainly true to an extent, but it's completely out of my control. And I think it's funny when my dad literally achieved the American dream coming.
- [57:44]
Billy Corgan
From another country, didn't even speak English.
- [57:45]
Wolfgang Van Halen
A Dutch immigrant at 6 years old.
- [57:47]
Billy Corgan
Yeah.
- [57:49]
Wolfgang Van Halen
Found success beyond his wildest dreams doing what he loved and gave a better life to his offspring than he had. Yeah. That's the American dream.
- [58:00]
Billy Corgan
He is the American dream. And that's like. That is the dream. You would leave something for your children.
- [58:06]
Wolfgang Van Halen
So if that's. If he did that, then why. Why is it like me all of a sudden? Because my dad did that. It's completely out of my control. You know what I mean? It's a very, very weird thing. Cause I just. All I want to do is just play music and make music that makes people feel emotions, you know?
- [58:26]
Billy Corgan
Well, the one thing I can tell you about this world is people get bored. And eventually they're going to get bored of the same story.
- [58:32]
Wolfgang Van Halen
Yeah.
- [58:33]
Billy Corgan
And they'll move on. They'll make up some other news stories.
- [58:35]
Wolfgang Van Halen
Sure.
- [58:36]
Billy Corgan
Like, they don't like your beard. It'll be about the beard.
- [58:40]
Wolfgang Van Halen
Yeah.
- [58:40]
Billy Corgan
Yeah. Anyway, I'll move on. I hope this was enjoyable for you.
- [58:44]
Wolfgang Van Halen
This was wonderful.
- [58:44]
Billy Corgan
Because I thank you because I think you have such a bright future. And I hope that you get to all those dancing rainbows in your head, you know, that musicians have when they're laying in bed.
- [58:55]
Wolfgang Van Halen
Thank you. That it means. Means the world to hear you say that.
- [58:59]
Billy Corgan
Thank you.
- [58:59]
Wolfgang Van Halen
So, thank you.
- [59:00]
Billy Corgan
Hope we talk again soon.
- [59:01]
Wolfgang Van Halen
Absolutely.
- [59:02]
Billy Corgan
I'm Mammoth three.
- [59:03]
Wolfgang Van Halen
Yeah.
- [59:04]
Billy Corgan
Okay. Yeah, we'll be right here.
- [59:05]
Wolfgang Van Halen
You got it. Anytime, man.
- [59:06]
Billy Corgan
Thank you.