Violet Grohl's Debut Album 'Be Sweet To Me' Is a Love Letter to '90s Alt-Rock
Photo Credit: Bella Newman
Violet Grohl officially released her highly anticipated debut album, Be Sweet To Me, on May 29 via Aurora Records and Republic Records. The album marks a significant milestone for her as an emerging artist, carrying a sound rooted in the alternative rock traditions of the late 1980s and early 1990s while creating a distinct identity of its own.
Recorded at producer Justin Raisen’s home studio in Los Angeles, the album draws influence and inspiration from bands that Grohl has listened to since she was a kid, such as Pixies, Soundgarden, Cocteau Twins, The Breeders, Björk, and Alice in Chains. Be Sweet to Me was written entirely in the studio in a spontaneous style where Grohl would bring in an inspiration playlist for the team to listen to before writing. Raisen praised Grohl’s encyclopedic musical knowledge and eclectic influences, noting that no two playlists were alike and it was not uncommon for new wave, Scandinavian black metal, and vocal jazz to find their way beside one another in her library.
Coinciding with the album’s arrival, Grohl has also unveiled a new music video for “Bug in the Cake,” directed by Nikki Milan Houston. The release highlights Grohl’s creative vision as a songwriter and performer alike and bolsters growing anticipation surrounding Be Sweet to Me. The video has a quirky and vintage feel to it with a bold color palette and textures that enhance Grohl’s thematic concepts for the album.
Early critical reception has been overwhelmingly positive, with NYLON stating that “Violet Grohl is the most authentic successor we’ve had to ‘90s alt rock in a long time, and if you’re skeptical of that claim, just let the music speak for itself.” Additionally, SPIN wrote, “The songs from Be Sweet To Me aren’t tentative. They arrive loud, fuzzy and dangerously catchy.”
To continue the momentum already going for this project, Grohl will make her television debut on June 3 on NBC’s The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon and has set out on her first-ever headline tour. She kicked things off with a sold-out show in Los Angeles the same day as the Be Sweet to Me release and is continuing through the US with sold out shows in New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore, and Washington, D.C. In addition to this leg of her US tour, she is set to play a variety of festivals, including a handful of European festivals in August, as well as Shaky Knees, CBGB, and All Things Go in September.
Upcoming Tour Dates:
06/04 - Brooklyn, NY @ Baby's All Right - SOLD OUT
06/05 - Philadelphia, PA @ World Cafe Live - SOLD OUT
06/06 - Washington, DC @ The Atlantis - SOLD OUT
06/23 - Baltimore, MD @ Nevermore Hall *
06/24 - New York, NY @ The Rooftop at Pier 17 *
08/21 - Biddinghuizen @ Lowlands Festival 2026
08/23 - Hasselt @ Pukkelpop 2026 - SOLD OUT
08/28 - Wetherby @ Leeds Festival 2026
08/29 - Co. Laois @ Electric Picnic 2026 - SOLD OUT
08/30 - Reading @ Reading Festival 2026
09/18 - Chicago, IL - Riot Fest 2026
09/20 - Atlanta, GA @ Shaky Knees 2026
09/26 - Brooklyn, NY @ CBGB 2026
09/27 - Columbia, MD @ All Things Go 2026
11/20 - México @ Corona Capital 2026
* w/ The Breeders