Melissa Auf der Maur: Full Life Interview

In this oral history Melissa Auf der Maur discusses growing up in a politically aware and public family, her early education in the arts, and picking up the bass at the age of 17. Auf der Maur talks about working in a club from a young age, her expectations of herself, and how she was asked to join Hole and initially refused. She details the experience of joining Hole, her work with the band, and why she eventually left. Auf der Maur talks about her career after Hole, emphasizing touring with Smashing Pumpkins for a year, and her two solo albums: Auf der Maur and Out Of Our Minds. Auf der Maur openly discusses pregnancy and motherhood. She also talks about her current project, Basilica Hudson, a community arts and performance venue in Hudson, New York. The interview concludes with her thoughts on her role in rock history, the visibility of women in the rock industry, and what she is most proud of.

Melissa Auf der Maur is a bassist, singer-songwriter, and photographer best known for her work in Hole. Auf der Maur currently lives in Hudson, New York with her husband and daughter.

Learn more at: WomenofRock.org
Interviewed by Tanya Pearson for the Women of Rock Oral History Project
Shot by Piper Preston and Jen Dessinger

The Women of Rock Oral History Project is a collection of digital interviews and written transcripts, housed at the Sophia Smith Collection at Smith College—one of the oldest women’s history archives in the United States. Started by Tanya Pearson in December, 2014, WOROHP documents the lives and careers of women in rock whose work and careers have been underrepresented or omitted from rock journalism and historical scholarship. With a collection of publicized and accessible primary source documents, the Women of Rock Oral History Project seeks to facilitate a more comprehensive, inclusive, and accurate cultural history.

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