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Of course it’s no ordinary job being a ‘rockstar’.
As an icon and mentor to millions it’s got to be the
best job in the world. And it probably is. For some,
it’s just as interesting as it is invigorating, and
with the friends of Melissa Auf Der Maur reading
like a Rolodex Who’s Who of rock n roll, she’s
come across a character or two in her time. So after
playing and recording with Courtney Love’s gung ho,
grungers, Hole, the next elevation to stardom was a
steep one. Supporting The Smashing Pumpkins on their
Farewell Tour is no mean feat, and after working with
two of music’s ‘favourite addicts’ (Billy Corgans vice
being work and Courtney’s being…well, lets not get into
that) picking up the odd tip on the way is bound to
help, but for Melissa Auf Der Maur, it was all in a
days work.
After living the musical equivalent of the American
dream, she describes the beginning of it all as simply:
‘I left my home in Montreal to join a big American band.
My official life in music had begun.’ So after almost
a decade of rock durability that could only be matched
by a blessed few, Melissa Auf Der Maur is your bona
fide walking talking musical reincarnation. And whilst
the icons fade away (Billy and Zwan, never really made
the grade, and Courtney has stumbled from one controversy
to another) Melissa hasn’t been sitting on her royalties,
or her ass for that matter, for all this time. A recharge
and a re-evaluation can work wonders for a person. ‘I’ve
had some time out, and I’ve been working on the record
a lot, and now I feel ready and refreshed to go out
and do it again.’ She has been making waves of her own
with new single’ Followed the Waves’ (Feb 16th release)
and preceding that is her first solo, self titled album
‘Auf Der Maur’. With a little help from her friends,
she has arguably made one of the strongest albums of
the year. Working with the enigmatic, but now split,
Queens of the Stone Age cohorts, Homme and Oliveri,
QOTSA producer Chris Goss, desert rats
Kyuss, and James Iha of the Pumpkins,
it’s as slick as it is shuddering, sweeping all before
it. Working with characters, cracking the whip and running
a tight ship should be second nature by now shouldn’t
it? ‘I am the captain and I just hired who I wanted
to play where and in each song. There were like 25 artists
who worked with me on the album but I knew which guitarist
I wanted in what song, what drummer I wanted. It wasn’t
really hard conveying my ideas.’ It’s always the quiet
ones.
 A
European tour supporting A Perfect Circle was
an offer too good to refuse: ‘It was an amazing opportunity
touring with a Perfect circle on a tour that big, I
mean you can’t say no.’ But the fire remains to get
back to her roots. ‘My first choice would have been
to do a month of club touring to like 100, 200 people
and getting down and dirty in the smaller places.’ So
even with the transition from bassist to front woman
with a sprinkling of icon, you could still call her
one of your own. And what of her new found status as
leader? Surely it must be nice being the circus master
as opposed to one of the clowns? ‘Feels pretty good’,
Melissa, assures us, ‘I had a lot of experience performing
with Hole and the Pumpkins. I’ve practiced and rehearsed
a lot but it’s knowing now to say something in the gaps
between the songs. Just gotta get used to that.” The
relaxed mood and outlook is something that comes naturally
to Melissa and Melissa’s pragmatic view on relationships
is as measured as her bass playing. Getting her to squeal
on any of her former employers was going to be hard:
‘Everybody is difficult. I appreciate everyone I’ve
ever worked with and every relationship I’ve had. Even
my ex boyfriends, but every relationship to me is valid’.
Understandably complimentary of Corgan, ‘Billy’s one
of the hardest workers I’ve ever met. He’s got one of
those work ethics that most people couldn’t handle’.
After working with so many icons, it would be hard for
anyone to have any ill feeling towards the people who
shared the moments. Commenting on Zwan, Corgans band
post Pumpkins, she remains pragmatic ‘I respect Billy.
He’s got as much right as anybody to evolve, their record
was very melodic and easy going but I crave Billy heavy
riffs. I guess that’s me being kinda biased.’
In retrospect of all that’s happened, what’s in a name?
Why ‘Auf Der Maur’? A declaration of independence? Or
a way of cutting loose from a famous history? Apparently
not. ‘Well first of all Melissa isn’t a heavy rock name,
where Auf Der Maur is a heavy German rock name, and
I didn’t really want to call it Melissa Auf Der Maur.
That was way too long’. Not the most rock n roll riposte
Crud has ever heard but Melissa continues: ‘I
like the idea of the history. I’m not a man so it’s
not like I can have a kid. This is my way of affirming
my identity.’ After striking at the root, a new side
of Melissa becomes evident. A deeper, questioning personality
accompanies that of the consummate pro. ‘It’s about
keeping the name alive, it comes from a long line of
hardworking peasants, and there’s that mix of Swiss
and German, just makes me think how I got to be here
and just to question human existence.’ Without dwelling
or dismissing anything in equal measure, and with a
firm belief in cause and effect, it’s no surprise she
continues to enjoy the lofty heights on the higher rungs
of the rock ladder.
There is a meticulous quality to Melissa Auf Der Maur
and the debut album she’s bringing out in March. Everything
is part of the bigger picture and now it’s all coming
together. The jigsaw is, if you’ll pardon the
expression, looking pretty fucking good: ‘the record
was born out of my love of music and I wanted to deconstruct
music because so much if it is too structured. For me
it was all about making a record that was creative.
It was a reaction for freedom. I liked having no manager,
no band no one to answer too so it was all about a reaction
against structure.’ With a process so unstructured,
unsupervised and unsolicited, you wonder why all albums
aren’t made like this. It should never be about the
fame, the record sales, or the fat pay cheque at the
end of it all. It’s about the music man! Or woman.
’I don’t feel I’ve got something to prove’ and why
should she? As a bassist she’s done all there has to
be done, so why not as a singer. ‘I feel my voice is
an instrument I can use to share my music and my passion
with everybody else’, drawing from the same stream of
consciousness that drove the album process and with
the friends like these, she has every chance of making
a success of it.
‘Just singing from the guts and then realising I can
do this.’ Simple, self-styled determination from a girl
who went to ‘join a big American band’, who now is the
band. After almost a decade in music, what substantiates
success for a person who’s been there, done that, bought
the t-shirt and accumulated the wealth? ‘Happiness,
just playing and sharing my music with people and hoping
they enjoy it. For me this record was about the process
not the outcome. Making the record, working with so
many artists and friends accomplished what I wanted
in making it.’
Relevant sites:
http://www.aufdermaur.com
Sherief Younis for Crud Magazine 2004©
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