Music

The Daughters of Grunge: 5 Women Following in Their Fathers’ Footsteps

Many of our grunge heroes of yore have become parents. From plaid long-sleeves to Pack ‘n Plays.

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(Photo by John Shearer/Getty Images for FIREAID)

It’s strange to think about but the height of grunge music was 30 years ago. Yikes! It’s been even longer since seminal albums like Nirvana’s Nevermind and Pearl Jam’s Ten came out—they go back almost 35 years! Yes, it’s been almost two generations since Soundgarden became a cult favorite in a tour van headed for “Black Hole Sun” stardom.

And while it can feel staggering to remember back that far, another thing that comes with time is progeny. Kids. Many of our grunge heroes of yore have since grown up to become parents. From plaid long-sleeve shirts to Pack ‘n Plays. But wouldn’t you know it, some of their kids have chosen to follow their musical path?

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Specifically, these five young women have begun a career in music and entertainment just like their talented parents. Can’t put a face on who they might be just yet? Well, let’s meet the daughters of grunge: five women following in their songwriter dads’ footsteps.

1. Frances Bean Cobain

The daughter of Kurt Cobain and Courtney Love, Frances Bean Cobain has long been a focus of media attention because of her parents. But palace intrigue aside, she is a talented artist—in the video below, she sounds like Joan Baez.

Frances recently made headlines when she married Riley Hawk (skateboarder Tony’s son) and again this fall when the two welcomed a baby of their own. A new mom, she’s also a model, visual artist, and musician with real style.

2. Violet Grohl

Daughter of drummer-turned-frontman Dave Grohl, Violet performed on stage as recently as January 30th with the living Nirvana members (her dad and Krist Novoselic). She sang “All Apologies.” But that wasn’t her first foray into live music.

Years ago, she (daringly) performed a cover of an Adele song, “When We Were Young.” That was her first ever performance and she was just 12. Since then, there’s been lots more for the burgeoning artist, including her rendition of “Hallelujah” at the Taylor Hawkins benefit.

3. Olivia Vedder

Daughter of Pearl Jam frontman Eddie Vedder, Olivia performed an original song with her dad several years ago at the beloved Ohana music festival. With a distinctive, emotive, connective voice, she also made a studio version of the song she did at Ohana, “My Father’s Daughter,” and that version is quite good. And especially emotional given the content.

4. Toni Cornell

Toni Cornell garnered intrigue when she first came onto the scene in 2015, performing “Redemption Song” with her dad, Chris. In 2020, she covered Pearl Jam’s “Black” for Lollapalooza during lockdown.

She has a brilliant voice. She may be the most accomplished on this list, as her talents have also taken her to late night TV like The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon and The Late Late Show with James Corden.

5. Nico Hoon

The daughter of Blind Melon frontman Shannon Hoon, Nico has dabbled in singing through the years. She’s performed backup on the catchy acoustic-driven tune, “The Wolf,” with Abandon Jalopy (below). She’s also performed on stage with her dad’s band (here and here).

Blind Melon, famous for its sticky, introverted track, “No Rain,” had a grip on music fans in the 90s but their rise ended when Shannon died at 28. And while Nico may not be the next breakout, sometimes we just need to participate in our parents’ gifts to remember them fondly.