Courtney Love and Melissa Auf Der Maur, members of the rock band Hole, have reunited in the studio for the first time in over two decades. This development has sparked speculation about the possibility of new music from the band.
“Having a blast – first time in studio together in 24 years!” Love announced via Instagram. This reunion follows their brief stage collaboration in October 2018, where they performed several Hole classics at an event in Hudson, New York, celebrating Love’s career. In 2020, Love hinted at a possible reunion during a rehearsal with ex-bandmates Auf Der Maur and Patty Schemel, expressing optimism about their musical chemistry. However, she later dismissed the idea of a formal reunion in a 2021 interview with Vogue, stating, “a proper Hole reunion will absolutely not [be happening].”
Earlier this year, Love reignited hope for fans when she joined Billie Joe Armstrong’s The Coverups for a surprise performance in London, teasing, “Later… I’ll be back in Hole.”
Auf Der Maur reflected on her time with Hole in an interview with Bass Player, discussing the demanding nature of 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,” she revealed. The album, despite its success, left the band members feeling 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,” she added.
Shortly after leaving Hole, Auf Der Maur received an unexpected offer from Billy Corgan to join the Smashing Pumpkins, a proposition she described as a “dream come true.” Despite her departure from Hole, Auf Der Maur cherishes the unique bond she formed with Love. “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!”
The potential for new music from Hole remains uncertain, but the recent studio reunion has undoubtedly rekindled excitement among fans.