Melissa Auf der Maur is returning to music with her first new project in 16 years, unveiling an ambitious release that blends archival recordings with newly created material.
Scheduled for release on September 4, Bass Womb Room: My ’90s 4-Track Demos x Field Recordings brings together a collection of previously unheard home demos recorded during the 1990s alongside fresh instrumental interludes inspired by recordings from her years performing with Hole and touring with the Smashing Pumpkins.
The first taste of the project comes in the form of “Skip a Beat,” offering listeners an early glimpse into a release that bridges decades of creative work.
Auf der Maur says the original demos capture a more personal and experimental side of her songwriting, created during an era when the commercial music industry increasingly favored polished, radio-ready hits. Rather than revisiting the past for nostalgia, the project presents those recordings in a new artistic context while connecting them with newly composed pieces built around ambient field recordings from her career.
The album also serves as the soundtrack to a broader creative undertaking. A photography exhibition bearing the same title opens September 2 at the Art Gallery of Ontario, followed by the release of a 240-page companion photobook on September 8. Together, the music, photographs, and visual presentation offer an expansive look at Auf der Maur’s artistic journey beyond her well-known work as a bassist.
The announcement continues a busy year for the musician, coming on the heels of her memoir, Even the Good Girls Will Cry: A ’90s Rock Memoir. With new music, photography, and writing arriving in the same year, Auf der Maur is revisiting her creative roots while presenting them through a fresh, multidisciplinary lens.
