What Indie Musicians of Any Age Can Learn from Violet Grohl

With her buzzy, electrified, grungy songs and sweet, breathy vocals, Violet Grohl is no longer the kid backup singer in the Foo Fighters. She’s a full-grown rock n’ roller. Watching her perform makes my heart swell with pride, though she’s not my daughter (probably because I remember seeing Violet perform as a child, in 2018, singing backup with her dad’s band).

I’m digging the first three singles off Violet’s debut album that drops today, Be Sweet to Me, and I’m also digging this moment. Violet Grohl, a nepo baby in an in an overcrowded industry, dropped an album that sounds like nothing else I’m hearing. I’ve almost forgotten she’s Dave Grohl’s daughter. 

But when one examines her trajectory and success, it’s clear that Violet and her marketing and publicity team made some key, intentional moves to usher her into the right place at the right time. And they didn’t do it by throwing her on Olivia Rodrigo’s tour. 

While most of us don’t have a Violet Grohl marketing budget, a youthful aura, or rich, famous parents, there’s a lot we can take away from Violet about standing out and making an impact.

Here are lessons learned from the VG artist rollout that will help you and your band no matter how beautiful, old, well-connected, or rich you are: 

Lesson #1: Aspire to Be Interesting

Aiming to play the hottest venue in town works sometimes. But if all the hot, young, talented musicians are competing for coveted opening spots at the hippest nightclubs — and the owner isn’t down with you being a 40-year-old mom whose fans need sitters — maybe move on. 

Play a new, underutilized space, like a friend’s front lawn. Or a new festival in an small town. Invite another band to join you. Be proud and excited about it. Maybe the hot nightclub will notice you are happy and entertaining and regret not booking you. Maybe your song will be heard by someone famous and influential. 

I’ll never forget when my band Trashing Violet played Tracy Bonham’s cover “Mother Mother” at a neighborhood porchfest in my town in 2021. Someone sent her the video, and she commented on one of our posts! It was cool — and definitely not something that every band can claim. 

Today, the once-lowkey neighborhood soiree exploded into a big, sponsored event. The main sponsor? The hottest nightclub in my town.

Lesson #2: Don’t Give Everything Away at Once

If you’re a cover band, this might work. Being mysterious will do you more favors and build intrigue. Don’t drop a surprise album (you aren’t Taylor Swift) or play three local shows in a month (unless you are in a cover band). It just positions you as an open book, always available. That’s boring. No one wants to date the predictable person. They want the badass mystery woman who is less available and harder to pin down. The same goes for indie musicians. If your live music is readily available to hear all the time, it’s less special (so make it special).

Lesson #3: Don’t Say Yes to Everything

One recent mom-fronted band I spoke with said they are very careful now about who and what they say “yes” to — and not every offer is worth their time. While Violet’s about to go on tour, she rarely played out before dropping her big debut album, except for super-special, unique events.

Do you say yes to an opportunity to play a lot of shows at a venue with crappy sound? Would you get more foot traffic if you played in a better venue, even if the set were shorter?  

These are things to think about as your band grows.

Lesson #4: Ignore the Snarky and Stupid Comments

Violet stayed mum in the fallout of her dad’s bombshell personal news, deleting her social media account and not performing. Don’t waste your energy on people who are interested in your band for the wrong reasons.

Lesson #5: Give Back to the Scene

Violet Grohl performed a surprise set at the FireAid benefit concert at The Kia Forum in Inglewood, California, on January 30, 2025. She joined surviving Nirvana members (her dad Dave Grohl, Krist Novoselic, and Pat Smear) to perform a powerful rendition of “All Apologies,” sharing the stage with other A-list guest vocalists. Hands down, hers was the best performance of the night, showcasing her powerful vocals and intimate delivery.

[SEE RELATED: VIOLET GROHL, KIM GORDON, ST. VINCENT, AND JOAN JETT SLAY NIRVANA REUNION SET AT FIREAID]

Of course, all of these lessons won’t make much difference if your band or indie act doesn’t take its music or performance seriously. You still need to rehearse and dress well (not sloppily, unless that’s an expression of your art). You still need to refine your music, considering everything from lyrical relevance and guitar tones to recording quality. 

But when faced with indie-band-related indecision, just ask yourself ‘what would Violet do?’ Chances are the answers will come to you shortly thereafter. 

Marisa Torrieri Bloom is the editor and founder of Rockmommy.