The single was written in the wake of the wildfires that tore through Los Angeles and the visionary director’s death in January 2025
Violet Grohl grapples with life, love, grief, and distance on her latest single “What’s Heaven Without You.” The record arrives exclusively on Bandcamp just over a year after its inception. The singer and songwriter wrote the record in the wake of the wildfires that tore through Los Angeles in 2025 and the death of acclaimed director David Lynch.
“This song was written in David Lynch’s memory alongside two of my favorite collaborators in the world, Persia Numan, and Justin Raisen,” Grohl said in a statement. “A few days after the chaos and devastation of the L.A. fires, we came together in our sadness and grief and let it pour out into this song. We hope you can find some resonance in it. The impact he left on art is truly magical, we miss you David.”
“What’s Heaven Without You” opens with a snapshot of images: “Blue eyes/Eyes burning/Smoke dies/Prized curtains/Unclasp my hands/They’re hurting/They hurt.” Later on the record, Grohl sings, “Follow you there but I can’t let myself through/Don’t let me down/What’s heaven without you.”
The single marks the third release from Grohl, who dropped her debut solo tracks “Thum” and “Applefish” in December. “I’m beyond excited to finally share a little bit of what i’ve been working on over the last year,” the singer and eldest daughter of Foo Fighters frontman Dave Grohl wrote on Instagram at the time.
“What’s Heaven Without You” arrives on what would have been Lynch’s 79th birthday. The actor died on Jan. 16, 2025 from cardiac arrest due to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. “There’s a big hole in the world now that he’s no longer with us,” his family shared at the time. “But, as he would say, ‘Keep your eye on the donut and not on the hole.‘ It’s a beautiful day with golden sunshine and blue skies all the way.”
