Melissa Auf Der Maur Speaks On Possible Hole Reunion And Why It Must Happen Naturally

Melissa Auf der Maur recently spoke with NME about whether Hole could ever reunite, suggesting that today’s political climate may be making the idea feel more relevant than before.

Auf der Maur became part of Hole in 1994 following the tragic death of bassist Kristen Pfaff, who died after a heroin overdose. During her time with the group she became an important source of balance for Courtney Love and the band, contributing to their widely praised 1998 record Celebrity Skin. She departed the group in 1999, spent a short period performing with The Smashing Pumpkins, and later focused on building her own solo path.

Speaking earlier this week with NME for the Does Rock ‘N’ Roll Kill Braincells?! feature, she was asked directly about whether Hole could ever reunite for live performances.

“I have no idea,” Auf der Maur said. “If there’s one thing I know about Courtney and Hole, it’s that it’s as mysterious as romantic love. You can’t force, organise, or plan these things.”

“What I do know is I’ve always said no for many years, and it wasn’t until the Evil Empire in the US that I began to contemplate where Hole, and Courtney’s fearless feminism, and our generation, could maybe add to this dire dialogue in the US,” she explained further. “Some of my interest in returning to Hole in any shape or form is because the world needs that kind of power, rebellion, and intelligence.”

She also spoke warmly about her former bandmate, saying: “Courtney’s one of the most well read and intelligent humans I’ve ever spent a significant chapter of my life with.”

The original members of Hole have been inactive since 2002, though a later version of the group performed between 2009 and 2012 with a different lineup. Since that time, Love has alternated between hinting at and dismissing the idea of a reunion.

Earlier this year she reignited conversation about a possible return after posting a cryptic video online. The footage showed Auf der Maur wearing a flowing dress before the camera focused on a gold ring. Hole’s 1998 single “Malibu” could be heard playing behind the visuals. In the caption, Love wrote: “So do we tell the kids about the tour?” Auf der Maur responded underneath with: “It starts with eternal love…”

Love later made it clear that there were “no Hole reunion” plans, although she did confirm that she and Auf der Maur would be “playing some shows, new songs” together. She later clarified again in the comments, telling fans: “Not a reunion baby. Me and [Auf der Maur] touring new songs.”

The two musicians reunited creatively in 2024 when they worked together in the studio for the first time in more than twenty years. Later that same year they also collaborated on 070 Shake’s interpretation of Tim Buckley’s “Song To The Siren.”

Love and Auf der Maur previously shared a stage in October 2018 in Hudson, New York, where they performed Hole favorites “Doll Parts,” “Miss World,” and “Softer Softest.”

Last month also marked the publication of Auf der Maur’s memoir Even The Good Girls Will Cry. The book has been described as a “part coming of age autobiography, part travel diary, part psychedelic scrapbook” and includes uncommon photographs spanning different moments of her career.