“With Courtney, it enhanced my commitment as a woman to keep on rocking”: Courtney Love and bassist Melissa Auf der Maur have reunited in the studio – what this means for a possible Hole reunion

Hole's Courtney Love and Melissa Auf Der Maur have posted a cryptic photo of themselves together at the studio. This marks the first time in over two decades that the two members of Hole have reunited, potentially hinting at new music.

“Having a blast – first time in studio together in 24 years!” posted Love on Instagram. 

This isn't the duo's first public reunion since Hole's heyday. Love and Auf der Maur briefly shared the stage in October 2018, performing several Hole classics at an event in Hudson, New York, celebrating Love's career.

In 2020, Hole revealed to NME that she “had a good session” at a rehearsal with ex-bandmates Auf der Maur and Patty Schemel, leaving the door open for a possible reunion. 

However, she backtracked a year later when she told Vogue that “a proper Hole reunion will absolutely not [be happening].”

Yet Love teased the possibility of a Hole reunion this February when she joined Bille Joe Armstrong's The Coverups for a surprise performance in London, saying “Later… I'll be back in Hole”. 

In an interview with Bass Player, Auf der Maur described the reality of her five-year tenure with Hole, which included writing and recording the band's landmark album, Celebrity Skin.

“I was there for every minute of every day. It was a very demanding process. We ended up spending millions of dollars.”

The album was released to modest success. However, by that time, the band members were massively burnt out. “It sort of felt like the time to go. Courtney was getting into films and I didn't really know what the future was gonna be.”

A week after leaving Hole, Auf der Maur received a call from Smashing Pumpkins' Billy Corgan, who asked her to join the band. “It was just a very dramatic coincidence. Billy said, ‘You're gonna be in my band!’ And I couldn't say no, because it was a dream come true."

COURTNEY LOVE + Melissa Auf der Maur DOLL PARTS / MISS WORLD 10/27/18 NY + Michael Stipe - YouTube

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Despite leaving Hole, Auf der Maur still looks back at the special friendship she developed with Love over those five critical years. 

“With Courtney, it’s a different female bond, simply because there aren’t that many women in the rock landscape, so we have a real unspoken loyalty to each other based on that fact alone. We’re on a similar mission to put a female perspective out there. With Courtney, it enhanced my commitment as a woman to keep on rocking!”