How Violet Grohl Revived a Squirrel Bait Classic with "Sun God" Cover

Violet Grohl’s heartfelt cover of Squirrel Bait’s "Sun God" bridges generations of underground rock, shining a light on the influential ’80s punk band.

A Teenage Punk Legacy Resurfaces in New York City

Last night, June 24, at New York’s Pier 17, Violet Grohl and her band took the stage and threw down a razor-sharp cover of “Sun God,” a song by the obscure yet wildly influential Louisville punk band Squirrel Bait. To most casual concert-goers, this deep cut might have flown under the radar. But for die-hard music fans and underground rock aficionados, this tribute was a heartwarming nod to a band whose raw energy helped shape the sonic landscape of the ’80s and beyond.

Squirrel Bait’s legacy is tightly woven into the DNA of alternative and post-rock music. Despite their brief existence as teenage rebels in the Reagan era, their sound carried a fierce intensity that echoed in the works of later bands like Slint, Gastr Del Sol, Bastro, Papa M, and The For Carnation. These groups took Squirrel Bait's aggressive punk roots and morphed them into intricate and boundary-pushing musical explorations.

Squirrel Bait in the mid-1980s (photo: Drag City).

Even Dave Grohl, Violet’s dad and legendary Foo Fighters frontman, has long praised Squirrel Bait as one of his underground rock touchstones. Back in 2017, Dave honored this by inviting Squirrel Bait’s vocalist Peter Searcy to perform “Sun God” live with Foo Fighters in Birmingham, Alabama — a rare reunion moment happening three decades after the band parted ways.

Passing the Torch: Violet Grohl’s Musical Inspirations

Violet Grohl shared with us her admiration for Squirrel Bait, calling them “seriously one of my favorite (criminally underrated) bands!” It’s clear their music shaped her artistic palette, especially during the creation of her guitar-driven debut album, Be Sweet to Me. While the album leans into ‘90s shoegaze and modern industrial metal influences, the spirit of ’80s punk reverberates through the tracks.

Violet and her band are now on a worldwide tour, bringing their fierce live energy to fans across the globe, with the next stop scheduled for August 19 in Berlin. It’s inspiring to see these underground roots finding fresh life through Violet’s contemporary sound.

An Exclusive Conversation with David Grubbs: Squirrel Bait’s Guitarist Reflects

To get a better feel for the significance of Violet’s cover, we connected with David Grubbs, Squirrel Bait’s guitarist, who has since carved out a respected career crafting avant-garde music and teaching composition at Brooklyn College and the CUNY Graduate Center.

Grubbs is also releasing a duo record with fellow guitar innovator Loren Connors titled Somewhere in the Wind on July 31, and has a new improvised LP Bright Madness slated for late September.

When asked about other covers of “Sun God,” Grubbs recalled:

“The only time I’m aware of is that Foo Fighters played ‘Sun God’ with Peter Searcy, who is Squirrel Bait’s singer. That’s bouncing around online. It was during a Foo Fighters concert and Dave Grohl invited Peter out. Peter sang it and Dave played a guitar. Violet’s version was uncannily precise, to the point where before she started singing, at first I thought in my head, am I looking at a video with the original recording of Squirrel Bait? The tempo was so precise and the drums were copied exactly. It seemed like they had studied the song and executed it flawlessly.”

Grubbs confirmed that Peter Searcy has not performed the song in other contexts since those Foo Fighters shows, and that the original band members themselves haven’t revisited the material live since their heyday. “No, no, not at all. Gastr Del Sol songs are about as far as I reach back.”

Reunions and Reflection: The Band’s Legacy 40 Years Later

It’s been four decades since Squirrel Bait last played live, and when asked about any reunion possibilities, Grubbs was candid:

“We were invited by the Afghan Whigs to play All Tomorrow’s Parties in 2012, but declined. You know, I’m never averse to reaching back. In the music I make, I don’t feel like once I’m through a particular gate or across a particular threshold, I’m done with it. But I wrote the music for ‘Sun God’ when I was 16 and a junior in high school (laughs). I don’t know. Reaching to perform a version of my teenage self, to me that’s just… no (laughs).”

Despite this, Grubbs finds joy in witnessing younger generations discovering Squirrel Bait’s music. He reminisced about the unexpected reach of the band’s influence:

“My son is 21 and when he started pre-kindergarten, it seemed like a third of the dads in the class in Brooklyn at some point came up to me and said, you were in Squirrel Bait? That was the demographic (laughs), so I just thought, the audience of people listening to Squirrel Bait is more or less exactly my age. So, it’s a very pleasant surprise seeing younger people get into it.”

To make the music more accessible to new fans, Drag City recently reissued Squirrel Bait’s two albums, which had been out of print for about a decade.

Band Bonds: Staying Connected After All These Years

Though Squirrel Bait members have scattered into different projects and careers, some friendships remain strong. Grubbs shared:

“I remain really close with [bassist] Clark Johnson and [guitarist]/future Slint vocalist Brian McMahan. I’ve known Clark since I was two years old. He’s my oldest friend, and I was best man at his wedding. I see Peter and [drummer] Ben [Daughtrey] less so, but we do band business, like so many other people, via email. I last saw Brian and Clark a couple months ago.”

It’s heartwarming to know that while the band may not reunite on stage, the bonds formed in those formative years have endured.

The Slint Connection and Louisville’s Underground Scene

Grubbs also reminisced about Slint’s unique presence in Louisville’s music scene, providing a glimpse into the quirky and intimate nature of their early days:

“Slint was this funny band. When they were in their most intense period of practicing or woodshedding, they would frequently volunteer to play at parties in Louisville. They would usually set up in a room in someone’s house that had more or less the same dimensions as their practice space, so that they could play at precisely the same volume without a PA. People got so accustomed to seeing them that I remember asking a friend, oh, how was the party last night? And he was like, it was pretty fun, but Slint played (laughs). It just shows how people really can take these things for granted — like, we were having a great time hanging out until Slint started to play (laughs).”

The intertwined history of these bands reveals a tight-knit community of musicians pushing boundaries and influencing generations to come.

Bringing It All Together

Violet Grohl's passionate revival of "Sun God" is more than just a cover; it’s a heartfelt tribute that connects past and present, shining a spotlight on an underground band whose ripples are still felt today.

Whether you’re a longtime fan of Squirrel Bait or just discovering them through Violet’s vibrant rendition, their music remains a testament to the power of youthful rebellion and artistic evolution.

FAQ

• What inspired Violet Grohl to cover Squirrel Bait’s "Sun God"?
  Violet has openly expressed her admiration for Squirrel Bait, naming them among her favorite underrated bands. Their influence was part of the playlist that inspired her debut album.
• Has "Sun God" been covered by other notable artists?
  Aside from Violet Grohl’s recent cover, Foo Fighters performed "Sun God" live with Squirrel Bait’s singer Peter Searcy in 2017.
• Is there any chance of a Squirrel Bait reunion?
  While they were invited to perform in 2012, the band declined and currently have no plans to reunite, preferring to focus on new projects.
• Are the original Squirrel Bait records available today?
  Yes, Drag City recently reissued their two albums, making them more accessible to fans old and new.
• How closely connected are the band members today?
  David Grubbs remains close with some members like Clark Johnson and Brian McMahan, maintaining friendships and occasional contact despite their separate paths.

For fans wanting to celebrate the spirit of Squirrel Bait and Violet Grohl’s musical journey, consider shopping for your favorite album cover posters at our store. It’s a tasteful way to keep this rich musical heritage alive in your space.