While speaking to NME in a recent interview promoting her new book “Even the Good Girls Will Cry,” former Hole bassist Melissa Auf der Maur reflected on the complicated legacy of the band’s 1998 album “Celebrity Skin.”
When asked how she feels about the album nearly three decades later, Auf der Maur admitted her perspective on the record has shifted over time, allowing her to finally appreciate it.
“The thing that sat so heavy with me with ‘Celebrity Skin’ was the loss of Patty [Schemel] after an incoming ghost drummer caused her to leave, and the breaking of our spirit,” she said. “Since I’ve written the book and shed tears about how it was a loss of innocence for me, I actually have more appreciation for the record and can see it’s a great album that I’m proud of.”
She continued: “Even its overly produced nature sounds great by today’s standards. It’s rich with human playing, with tiny tweaks by early versions of Pro Tools. It’s aging well. When I met Billie Eilish and Finneas with my daughter, Finneas told me ‘Celebrity Skin’ is a big influence on new producers – in that it sounds both perfect, but also real.
“All those years of unresolved sadness around the machine and the loss of Patty didn’t allow me to see the beauty in the record. Now I do, and I recommend people go listen to it.”
