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Montreal rock royalty Melissa Auf der Maur has toured the world, documenting raw moments backstage, onstage, and in the crowd.
The acclaimed musician, photographer, curator and producer best known as the former bassist of rock bands Hole and The Smashing Pumpkins, has published a memoir (dropping March 17, 2026) and is preparing for a solo photography exhibition in September.
Born and raised in Montreal, daughter of iconic journalist and Montreal city councillor Nick Auf der Maur and renowned translator and dramaturg Linda Gaboriau, Auf der Maur says her star-studded and photo-filled memoir Even the Good Girls Will Cry (Da Capo Press) is “about the decade that defined me and my generation, 1991 to 2001, and my life in the rock bands which allowed me to have a front-row seat to an incredibly visceral and unforgettable moment in the counterculture.”
The page-turner chronicles her bond with Billy Corgan, her romantic relationship with Dave Grohl, and her enduring friendship with rock icon Courtney Love.
In 2010 Auf der Maur co-founded Basilica Hudson, a multidisciplinary art centre in Hudson, New York, where she lives with her husband, indie filmmaker Tony Stone and their daughter River.
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Auf der Maur recently sat down for a candid Q&A on the eve of her world book tour, and ahead of her major solo exhibition Melissa Auf der Maur: My ‘90s Photographs opening in September 2026 at Toronto’s Art Gallery of Ontario, to talk all things Montreal—including her favourite neighbourhood.
(Hint: it was recently ranked one of the coolest neighbourhoods on the planet.)
Why write a memoir now?
Well, a quarter of a century later seems like a very civilized and perspective-filled timeline. Sometimes it takes a couple of decades to unpack the mysterious things that happen in our life. And there is something about becoming middle-aged, and having a teenage daughter. I did it for her, and I did it for me. To move forward in the future with a lighter load, and also to offer back to anyone who is interested in the last analog decade, women in rock, Montreal, bohemian parents, all the amazing things my life has encapsulated.
How did you decide what to include in your book?
It was hard. My book is actually 100 pages longer than the publisher commissioned… The beginning also has a healthy dose of my origin story, my amazing parents and my amazing city of Montreal.
Did you run it past Courtney Love before publication?
I did not have to, though I did run my mother’s chapter by my mom to make sure I had the facts right. You know, legally, public figures have less rights than private figures—not that I would be disrespectful to my public figures. What’s interesting is, out of respect, I told Courtney, Dave and Billy that I was writing the memoir. I told them I would be honest and full of love. They all trust me, they are all reading the book now, and we’ll see how it goes. The only thing I got approval for was to reproduce two letters that Courtney wrote me, one at the peak of our success together and the other her response to my very painful decision to leave Hole.
Both of your parents are public figures. Did that prepare you for fame?
Yes, absolutely. My mother was a real adventurer bohemian who travelled internationally, to Africa and Morocco. By the age of two, I had lived in wild places. My father was a boulevardier who struggled with alcoholism even though he was the happiest drunk I’ve ever known. Growing up Nick’s daughter on the campaign trail and in his newspaper columns on a micro level prepared me to live a very well-balanced life with the rock bands. Also, I think because I grew up in the shadows of these omnipresent trailblazing pioneers of their generation, that’s why I worked so hard from such a young age. I was aware of how hard they worked, how much passion they put into their work. As they say, actions speak louder than words. Just by being who they are, my parents inspired me to push myself as far as I could.
Did you study photography at Concordia University?
I left in my last year to join Hole but I really want to finish my BFA. I talk about my photography a lot in my book. Photography also played an important role when I joined a band and started becoming more like a documentarian. I knew that rock history was happening in front of my eyes, but I also knew that shit was moving too quickly for me to really understand. So I became an obsessive documentarian, and photographed every crowd, every hotel room, every cool person I met—like Danny DeVito, Adam Sandler, rock musicians that I worshipped... I was like a tourist and a fan and a documentarian in my own life, and I now realize that in some ways it kept me protected, because the lens of my camera was a bit of a force field. I was like an outsider inside my own life.
Tell us about your solo exhibition opening at Toronto’s Art Gallery Of Ontario in the fall
My photo archive has over 10,000 photographs. It’s been really difficult choosing just 200 photos for this exhibition. That’s what I’ve been doing for the last six months!
Why do you call the 90s our last analog decade in your memoir?
We’ve lost all the magic of being human. But we are still human, so the magic is inside. It just means we can’t let the tech terrors and our daily habits remove us from the power of being present.
How difficult was it writing about your father’s fight with cancer and his passing before MAID was legalized?
It was so painful but I knew that I had to do it to finally heal. Losing my father, losing this vibrant man to cancer, was tragic. His spirit was so broken by the end of his brave fight. To see Nick’s spirit being destroyed was one of the worst things I will ever witness in my life, if not the worst. It was so horrific to write. It was locked away for so long, I couldn’t look at it, couldn’t face it until I sat down to write it. And I will tell you, when I read the audio book, it was much harder to read this to myself. I could not speak those words without crying. I am crying on my own audio book.
How do you feel about your hometown Montreal?
Montreal is my third parent! You should hear me speaking about her every day to anyone who will listen. Montreal is one of the greatest cities in the world.
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Which is your favourite Montreal neighbourhood?
The Plateau is just everything I am. It’s cool because it’s the nexus between east and west. And I worship the royal mountain our city is named after.
Do you have a pied-à-terre in Montreal?
Yes, in the Plateau!
What are your favourite bars and venues in Montreal?
I’m so proud every time I walk by Bifteck or Barfly which was G-Sharp where my band Tinker first played. I know that Montrealers say Montreal has changed a lot, but compared to most major cities in North America, it’s actually still very close to what it was, especially in The Plateau. Bifteck, Barfly, Santropol, Beautys and Foufounes Électriques—all the places I grew up in are still here.
Do you ever miss your rock star days now that you’re happily married and a devoted mom?
I don’t miss the whirlwind. That’s why I quit. I don’t know that it’s possible to have both.
Tell us about your global book tour
It’s exciting! In each city I will read passages that are specific to that city. The first leg ends in Montreal which will be very special because we will celebrate the city and my history in it.
Check out the book tour stops here:
March 2026
March 17 – New York City
March 18 – Brooklyn
March 19 – Hudson, New York
March 20–22 – Toronto
March 24 – Chicago
March 28 – Los Angeles
March 30 – Montreal
April 2026
April 7 – Brighton, United Kingdom
April 8 – Manchester, United Kingdom
April 9 – Glasgow
April 10–11 – London
April 13 – Dublin
For more information about the Even the Good Girls Will Cry book tour, click here. And for more details about the Melissa Auf der Maur: My ‘90s Rock Photographs exhibit at the AGO, click here.
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