Wolfgang Van Halen's Mammoth WVH performs acoustic rendition of Distance live on the Today Show

Wolfgang Van Halen's Mammoth WVH made an appearance on NBC News' Today Show last Friday (February 19) to perform an acoustic rendition of his track Distance

Armed with a Taylor acoustic guitar and flanked by an army of other acoustic instruments wielded by live band Frank Sidoris, Jon Jourdan, Ronnie Ficarro and Garrett Whitlock, Wolf offered up a stripped-back version of the tear-jerking song, which was penned as a tribute to his late father and electric guitar great Eddie Van Halen.

The rendition came a week after Mammoth WVH's first-ever live outing, following their appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live! on February 12.

Speaking to the Today crew before the performance, Wolfgang Van Halen spoke about what Distance meant to him personally, and discussed the emotional message behind the song.

“It’s almost like a mantra for you when you lose someone that’s anyone who plays a large role in your life," he explains. "That’s my mantra when I think about my dad.” 

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Wolfgang was also asked about the process of recording the album in which he assumes all instrumental and vocal responsibility, saying, “a normal band would have a guitar player, bass player, drummer and singer… I’m the one doing all of that.

“Every single thing you hear is a bunch of me’s all at the same time!” 

Mammoth WVH's self-titled debut album is now available to preorder in a range of formats, including exclusive color vinyl and autographed CD.

For more info, head over to Mammoth WVH's online store.

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Matt Owen

Matt is a Staff Writer, writing for Guitar World, Guitarist and Total Guitar. He has a Masters in the guitar, a degree in history, and has spent the last 16 years playing everything from blues and jazz to indie and pop. When he’s not combining his passion for writing and music during his day job, Matt records for a number of UK-based bands and songwriters as a session musician.