Melissa Auf der Maurs long awaited solo album is finally here. Its a culmination of her work with the bands, Smashing Pumpkins and Hole, and is deeply personal. So personal in fact that Auf der Maur shunted all record labels and produced the entire album herself. This of course gave her complete control over who to work with and she chose Chris Goss as her producer, Josh Homme, Twiggy Ramirez and James Iha to work on the album.
Check out the official website of Melissa Auf der Maur
Daniel Robert Epstein: Why did you have to finance the entire album yourself?
Melissa Auf der Maur: Why do you assume I had to?
DRE: [laughs] Well then why did you want to?
MADM: To protect my absolute freedom and do it my way. It was a very obvious thing for me to do. I literally wanted to decide who, where and when. I wanted to return to a more simple time in music, what I, and most musicians started out doing, which is playing on your free time, getting together with your friends and honor music. Honor it so much that I was literally investing in it. To do it myself seemed like the safest bet in terms of honesty and purity. Also Im just a romantic who wanted it to be the most special and intimate thing in my life.
DRE: Had you seen too many people have their work compromised?
MADM: Not necessarily. Everyone compromises everywhere they go. I dont think I saw more or less of it than other musicians. It was more that I had been part of two bands, which were such incredibly massive machines. When I joined Hole, I literally went from one reality to another. Montreal, where I grew up, is very community oriented and very independent world. I never dreamt of a having a major label deal. I got thrown into this big world of big companies and making this album was a response to wanting to return to where I originally was with my original idealism. There is nothing inspiring about a record company or a manager. It seemed like a natural thing to take a risk for something you love.
DRE: How personal was doing it?
MADM: Every aspect of my life is personal. I dont do business. Im a personal person. Every decision was based on an emotional personal basis.
DRE: I read that your song writing process is stream of consciousness. Is it automatic writing or do you mull over every word?
MADM: No, I definitely dont mull. I am an anti-brain musician. First of all the music comes first. Its about melody, rhythm and an abstract thing called music. Its not science and not something you can calculate and put through your intellectual process. Then lyrics are a secondary thing that come from my diaries so they are pure and emotional. I truly believe that the best music just comes from a subconscious guttural place. Its kind of barfing out.
DRE: What happened with your voice getting all dark and gritty on the Lightning is My Girl track?
MADM: That dives into another realm. The actual overall theme or mood is as equally ethereal as masculinity and femininity. Its always creating a balance between the light in the dark.
DRE: How much of the album is created live in the studio and how much on computers?
MADM: I record on ProTools. But a lot of it was old-fashioned music making, we didnt rely on technology for anything but saving money. In terms of spontaneous creativity not too much was done because I was on a tight budget and a tight timeline. I had my work mapped out with my list of songs and list of musicians. I played color by numbers because I knew exactly which musicians were needed for each song and which guitar-playing friend was needed for which part.
DRE: Here is a stupid question, in the press notes it says, Melissa paid for everything from studio time to pizza delivery. Is a pizza a big thing for you?
MADM: There was pizza but there was also Indian food and lots of things. I think thats just elementary language used to describe that I paid for everything.
DRE: What was it like working with Chris Goss?
MADM: Many great things came out of making this record but the overall enjoyment of making it was the point. The best thing that came out of that year was my friendship with Chris. Hes one of the wisest, openhearted and wise musicians Ive ever worked with. Hes truly like a big brother at this point. My instinct to send letters and demos to him was right.
DRE: What did you write to him?
MADM: I said that I just need someone I could trust. I was nervous and it was the first time I ever fleshed out my songs. That I wasnt afraid to sound dumb, emotional, crazy or too abstract but just to be honest.
DRE: What did you think he could bring to the table?
MADM: Hes a musician and not just a producer. Hes not someone that will go in and live vicariously through people like some producers. Chris has made many of his owns records and he supported me in what I already am and not changing or pushing.
Ive had Chris name logged in my brain since 1991 after I read the Kyuss liner notes. I found out that he was this guy who found these 17-year-old stoner geniuses in the desert and produced their records. We also have many of the same musical references. He is someone that has the same love for psychedelic, romantic landscape music. When I first spoke to him he understood my reference to me liking The Smiths and Kyuss equally and thats what I celebrate on my record.
DRE: What was going on in your life when you were making the record?
MADM: I was just living life while making the record. I took my time with it. I did it over the course of a year in 2002. I would do a few weeks in LA, then a few weeks in Canada and then do the same in New York so I could really go over it. It was pretty relaxed.
DRE: How much influence did working with Courtney Love and Billy Corgan have on you making this album?
MADM: I spent five years in Hole and there was so much I learned from them. When I was in The [Smashing] Pumpkins seeing Billys work ethic and understanding that because this man lives and breathes music 24/7 I definitely took a lot from that. It made me understand why this man has so many records under his belt. That was definitely an inspiration to me.
The fact that both of those individuals are just themselves may have subconsciously been an influence on me.
DRE: I read that a few of your songs were inspired by your dreams. Did you go back and read your diaries?
MADM: Not really. Lightning is My Girl is one of the dreams and the last song; I Need I Want I Will is one as well. I Need I Want I Will is one I never had to write down because since I had the dream in 1991 it literally changed the course of action in my life. It was a mind-blowing science fiction dream about the power of sound and how it can bring groups of mere humans together. It was the dream that inspired me to make music my full time path and direction. Lightning is My Girl is one I found in my journal again. It was a cute idea of this relationship between this girl and lightning. The only time she can see her true love is when lightning strikes.
DRE: How do those dreams influence the tracks?
MADM: The mood of the music but mostly they are these very particular storylines.
DRE: Do you and Andrew W.K. party a lot?
MADM: If you knew what he was really about its partying in terms of celebration of love, life and oxygen but not the traditional party of beer and debauchery. But we enjoy the celebration of life together.
by Daniel Robert Epstein
SG Username: AndersWolleck
Check out the official website of Melissa Auf der Maur
Daniel Robert Epstein: Why did you have to finance the entire album yourself?
Melissa Auf der Maur: Why do you assume I had to?
DRE: [laughs] Well then why did you want to?
MADM: To protect my absolute freedom and do it my way. It was a very obvious thing for me to do. I literally wanted to decide who, where and when. I wanted to return to a more simple time in music, what I, and most musicians started out doing, which is playing on your free time, getting together with your friends and honor music. Honor it so much that I was literally investing in it. To do it myself seemed like the safest bet in terms of honesty and purity. Also Im just a romantic who wanted it to be the most special and intimate thing in my life.
DRE: Had you seen too many people have their work compromised?
MADM: Not necessarily. Everyone compromises everywhere they go. I dont think I saw more or less of it than other musicians. It was more that I had been part of two bands, which were such incredibly massive machines. When I joined Hole, I literally went from one reality to another. Montreal, where I grew up, is very community oriented and very independent world. I never dreamt of a having a major label deal. I got thrown into this big world of big companies and making this album was a response to wanting to return to where I originally was with my original idealism. There is nothing inspiring about a record company or a manager. It seemed like a natural thing to take a risk for something you love.
DRE: How personal was doing it?
MADM: Every aspect of my life is personal. I dont do business. Im a personal person. Every decision was based on an emotional personal basis.
DRE: I read that your song writing process is stream of consciousness. Is it automatic writing or do you mull over every word?
MADM: No, I definitely dont mull. I am an anti-brain musician. First of all the music comes first. Its about melody, rhythm and an abstract thing called music. Its not science and not something you can calculate and put through your intellectual process. Then lyrics are a secondary thing that come from my diaries so they are pure and emotional. I truly believe that the best music just comes from a subconscious guttural place. Its kind of barfing out.
DRE: What happened with your voice getting all dark and gritty on the Lightning is My Girl track?
MADM: That dives into another realm. The actual overall theme or mood is as equally ethereal as masculinity and femininity. Its always creating a balance between the light in the dark.
DRE: How much of the album is created live in the studio and how much on computers?
MADM: I record on ProTools. But a lot of it was old-fashioned music making, we didnt rely on technology for anything but saving money. In terms of spontaneous creativity not too much was done because I was on a tight budget and a tight timeline. I had my work mapped out with my list of songs and list of musicians. I played color by numbers because I knew exactly which musicians were needed for each song and which guitar-playing friend was needed for which part.
DRE: Here is a stupid question, in the press notes it says, Melissa paid for everything from studio time to pizza delivery. Is a pizza a big thing for you?
MADM: There was pizza but there was also Indian food and lots of things. I think thats just elementary language used to describe that I paid for everything.
DRE: What was it like working with Chris Goss?
MADM: Many great things came out of making this record but the overall enjoyment of making it was the point. The best thing that came out of that year was my friendship with Chris. Hes one of the wisest, openhearted and wise musicians Ive ever worked with. Hes truly like a big brother at this point. My instinct to send letters and demos to him was right.
DRE: What did you write to him?
MADM: I said that I just need someone I could trust. I was nervous and it was the first time I ever fleshed out my songs. That I wasnt afraid to sound dumb, emotional, crazy or too abstract but just to be honest.
DRE: What did you think he could bring to the table?
MADM: Hes a musician and not just a producer. Hes not someone that will go in and live vicariously through people like some producers. Chris has made many of his owns records and he supported me in what I already am and not changing or pushing.
Ive had Chris name logged in my brain since 1991 after I read the Kyuss liner notes. I found out that he was this guy who found these 17-year-old stoner geniuses in the desert and produced their records. We also have many of the same musical references. He is someone that has the same love for psychedelic, romantic landscape music. When I first spoke to him he understood my reference to me liking The Smiths and Kyuss equally and thats what I celebrate on my record.
DRE: What was going on in your life when you were making the record?
MADM: I was just living life while making the record. I took my time with it. I did it over the course of a year in 2002. I would do a few weeks in LA, then a few weeks in Canada and then do the same in New York so I could really go over it. It was pretty relaxed.
DRE: How much influence did working with Courtney Love and Billy Corgan have on you making this album?
MADM: I spent five years in Hole and there was so much I learned from them. When I was in The [Smashing] Pumpkins seeing Billys work ethic and understanding that because this man lives and breathes music 24/7 I definitely took a lot from that. It made me understand why this man has so many records under his belt. That was definitely an inspiration to me.
The fact that both of those individuals are just themselves may have subconsciously been an influence on me.
DRE: I read that a few of your songs were inspired by your dreams. Did you go back and read your diaries?
MADM: Not really. Lightning is My Girl is one of the dreams and the last song; I Need I Want I Will is one as well. I Need I Want I Will is one I never had to write down because since I had the dream in 1991 it literally changed the course of action in my life. It was a mind-blowing science fiction dream about the power of sound and how it can bring groups of mere humans together. It was the dream that inspired me to make music my full time path and direction. Lightning is My Girl is one I found in my journal again. It was a cute idea of this relationship between this girl and lightning. The only time she can see her true love is when lightning strikes.
DRE: How do those dreams influence the tracks?
MADM: The mood of the music but mostly they are these very particular storylines.
DRE: Do you and Andrew W.K. party a lot?
MADM: If you knew what he was really about its partying in terms of celebration of love, life and oxygen but not the traditional party of beer and debauchery. But we enjoy the celebration of life together.
by Daniel Robert Epstein
SG Username: AndersWolleck
VIEW 19 of 19 COMMENTS
boses:
What a pompous butthole. How about accomplishing something before walking around like you created the earth.
linedrawing:
Actually a really lovely interview. Procrastinating by reading beautiful, inspiring women's words is the best this site can offer. 