Marcel Anderson recently interviewed former Hole guitarist Eric Erlandson. He discussed Nirvana’s manager and record label refusing to acknowledge that Cobain was suicidal, despite his music obviously showing he had mental health issues. Keep in mind these excerpts are translated so the verbiage isn’t exactly right.
Anders: “Letters To Kurt” – letters to Kurt – is a tribute to Nirvana singer Kurt Cobain, who shot himself in April 1994. Do you have guilt feelings about his death?
Erlandson: Well, I had a lot of friends who killed themselves. And he is the most famous of them. He was the icon of our generation and he stands for so much. In that sense, that’s why I started to study suicide. Simply, because I had no idea. When you first experience this, you’re putting together your own part, why people do that, why they choose this path, and how you can help them decide differently.
Anders: And you could not help Kurt Cobain?
Erlandson: Had I known then what I know today, I would have intervened. Because Kurt Cobain was the perfect example of a suicidal person. His songs were an obvious indication, as were his diaries, which read about a million times: “I hate myself and want to die.” But all that came from his manager and label was: “He’s only formulating his lyrics.” No! He expressed what he felt. Unfortunately, I was too busy running Courtney back then. Today I think: Maybe I have focused on the wrong person.
