ArtistDirect News
Melissa Auf der Maur Releases First New Music in 15 Years with Bass Womb Roo
Melissa Auf der Maur, the former bassist of Hole and a brief touring member of The Smashing Pumpkins, announced the release of Bass Womb Roo: My ’90s 4‑Track Demos × Field Recordings on September 4 through Envision Records. The collection marks her first new music since her 2010 solo album Out of Our Minds.
The release pairs seven previously unreleased four‑track demos that Auf der Maur recorded in her Montreal apartment during the 1990s with eight new interludes created for her upcoming museum exhibition, Melissa Auf der Maur: My ’90s Rock Photograph, which opens in September. The interludes also incorporate archival audio from Auf der Maur’s time with Hole and The Smashing Pumpkins, including recordings of her audiences captured on a video camera mounted on her bass amp.
In a statement accompanying the announcement, Auf der Maur said the demos were written in a period when the major‑label music industry pressured artists to produce glossy radio‑friendly hits. She described the songs as a reflection of her internal experimentation and a way to keep the “Montreal art girl” alive inside her.
Envision Records, a division of Envision Management & Production based in Montreal, will distribute the album digitally and on cassette. The label’s catalog includes releases from a range of Canadian artists and has a history of supporting projects that blend music with visual art.
A teaser for the new composition “Skip a Beat” was released on the artist’s social‑media channels, giving listeners a preview of the experimental sound that will accompany the photo exhibit.
Auf der Maur’s career began in the early 1990s with the indie band Tinker while she was a student at Concordia University. She joined Hole in 1994, contributing to the 1998 album Celebrity Skin, and later toured with The Smashing Pumpkins in 2000. After leaving Hole in 1999, she launched a solo career, releasing Auf der Maur in 2004 and Out of Our Minds in 2010. In addition to her music, Auf der Maur is a photographer whose work has appeared in National Geographic and been exhibited at Sotheby’s.
The release of Bass Womb Roo coincides with the opening of her photo exhibition, which showcases images from her 1990s touring years. The exhibition is scheduled to run through September, aligning with the album’s release and providing a multimedia context for the demos and interludes.
In related news, the band Hole has teased new material on Instagram, with a post scheduled for Friday, July 24. The post does not specify whether the content is a new song, a remix, or a live recording.
Bass Womb Roo offers listeners a rare glimpse into Auf der Maur’s early creative process and the sonic environment of 1990s alternative rock. The collection’s combination of home‑recorded demos and field recordings provides a contrast between intimate studio work and the raw energy of live performance.
The album’s release after a 15‑year hiatus underscores Auf der Maur’s continued relevance in the music industry and her willingness to revisit and reinterpret her past work for contemporary audiences.
As of the announcement, the album is available for pre‑order on Envision Records’ digital platforms and will be issued on cassette on September 4. The photo exhibition will open the same month, offering a complementary visual experience to the audio collection.
The project highlights the enduring influence of 1990s alternative rock and the personal narratives of musicians who navigated the era’s commercial pressures while maintaining artistic integrity.
The release pairs seven previously unreleased four‑track demos that Auf der Maur recorded in her Montreal apartment during the 1990s with eight new interludes created for her upcoming museum exhibition, Melissa Auf der Maur: My ’90s Rock Photograph, which opens in September. The interludes also incorporate archival audio from Auf der Maur’s time with Hole and The Smashing Pumpkins, including recordings of her audiences captured on a video camera mounted on her bass amp.
In a statement accompanying the announcement, Auf der Maur said the demos were written in a period when the major‑label music industry pressured artists to produce glossy radio‑friendly hits. She described the songs as a reflection of her internal experimentation and a way to keep the “Montreal art girl” alive inside her.
Envision Records, a division of Envision Management & Production based in Montreal, will distribute the album digitally and on cassette. The label’s catalog includes releases from a range of Canadian artists and has a history of supporting projects that blend music with visual art.
A teaser for the new composition “Skip a Beat” was released on the artist’s social‑media channels, giving listeners a preview of the experimental sound that will accompany the photo exhibit.
Auf der Maur’s career began in the early 1990s with the indie band Tinker while she was a student at Concordia University. She joined Hole in 1994, contributing to the 1998 album Celebrity Skin, and later toured with The Smashing Pumpkins in 2000. After leaving Hole in 1999, she launched a solo career, releasing Auf der Maur in 2004 and Out of Our Minds in 2010. In addition to her music, Auf der Maur is a photographer whose work has appeared in National Geographic and been exhibited at Sotheby’s.
The release of Bass Womb Roo coincides with the opening of her photo exhibition, which showcases images from her 1990s touring years. The exhibition is scheduled to run through September, aligning with the album’s release and providing a multimedia context for the demos and interludes.
In related news, the band Hole has teased new material on Instagram, with a post scheduled for Friday, July 24. The post does not specify whether the content is a new song, a remix, or a live recording.
Bass Womb Roo offers listeners a rare glimpse into Auf der Maur’s early creative process and the sonic environment of 1990s alternative rock. The collection’s combination of home‑recorded demos and field recordings provides a contrast between intimate studio work and the raw energy of live performance.
The album’s release after a 15‑year hiatus underscores Auf der Maur’s continued relevance in the music industry and her willingness to revisit and reinterpret her past work for contemporary audiences.
As of the announcement, the album is available for pre‑order on Envision Records’ digital platforms and will be issued on cassette on September 4. The photo exhibition will open the same month, offering a complementary visual experience to the audio collection.
The project highlights the enduring influence of 1990s alternative rock and the personal narratives of musicians who navigated the era’s commercial pressures while maintaining artistic integrity.