S Poddar
Courtney Love, former Hole frontwoman, has recently come forward with more information about her highly anticipated solo album, which is the follow-up to her 2004 debut America’s Sweetheart. She also shared her frustration with PJ Harvey, who turned down an invitation to collaborate on the album.
Both Love and Harvey were major figures in the rock scene of the 1990s, with Love always expressing admiration for Harvey’s work. Love has publicly stated that Harvey’s 1992 debut Dry remains her favorite album by the British artist. She even once admitted, “The one rock star that makes me know I’m shit is Polly Harvey. I’m nothing next to the purity that she experiences.”
However, in a candid interview with The Standard, Love expressed her disappointment that Harvey declined her offer to collaborate on the new album. While Love was careful not to give away too many details about the record, she did confirm that R.E.M.’s Michael Stipe would be featured. The two have worked together before, and Love expressed how moved she was by the collaboration. “Stipe mentioned our collaboration to The New York Times, so I can say it’s gorgeous,” Love said. “I fell down weeping hearing his voice – it’s better than ever! I thought I knew the outcome, but I’m still the grasshopper while Michael is the sensei.”
Besides Stipe, Love also mentioned that guitarist of the highly influential Echo and the Bunnymen, Will Sergeant would be part of the album. She just couldn’t help herself, she said she loves Sergeant as her favorite guitarist on earth. “If you lined up Jimmy Page, Jonny Greenwood and Will Sergeant, I’d take Sergeant every time; it’s madness!” she exclaimed. “He’s on this record and is taking songs to otherworldly heights.
Despite these exciting collaborations, Love expressed frustration over Harvey’s silence. “I did ask PJ Harvey to come back – I wanted just one of her great iconic Stones guitar riffs,” she shared. “We have a relationship; I’ve endorsed her over the decades, but she chose not to respond to me. So I wrote her about how f***ing rude that was. Her manager tried to smooth things over, but it’s not okay – she hasn’t played rock music in 100 years! Her first five albums are great; after that, she ventured into art space (though I do love ‘The Last Living Rose,’ which feels like a John Donne poem with… WTF? A tuba?)”
Love’s comments are a mix of admiration and frustration that reveal the complexity of their relationship. She is still a huge fan of Harvey’s early work, but she appears disappointed by what she feels Harvey has done with his music, moving away from rock music in his later work.
In the same interview, Love also spoke about the direction of her music in the future. She said that she is interested in collaborating with artists from different genres, including rap and pop. Some of the names she mentioned include Kendrick Lamar, Stormzy, Doja Cat, Lana Del Rey, Lorde, Dr. Dre, Ice Cube, and Snoop Dogg, which indicates that her musical influences are diverse and that she is open to exploring new sounds in the future.
Although Love has yet to release an official word on an album, she did give fans some hints during the interview. She mentioned she is working with the well-known producer Butch Walker. This may suggest that the new record will be a bit more professional and mature in sound.
In addition to her musical endeavors, Love has been active on social media. In October 2023, she reactivated her TikTok account, where she has been teasing the upcoming album. “It’s Courtney, hi,” she said in one clip. “I’m not going to have an official TikTok. I’m just gonna upload some teasers from my album that’s coming out… Christmas, if we’re lucky. I’m just gonna upload some teasers.”
Further clues about the tone of the album have also surfaced. In another TikTok video, Love characterized the record as “the longest record that’s ever been written in the history of rock, so it better f***in’ be good, no filler.” In 2020, she had already described the album as “very sad,” with a focus on minor chords that reflected the emotional depth of the work.
Apart from her solo work, Love has also been a part of other musical projects. Just this month, she lent guest vocals to rapper 070 Shake’s cover of Tim Buckley’s Song to the Siren, showing that she is willing to experiment with different styles and artists.
With the soon-to-be-released album, it is quite obvious that Love is fully devoted to keeping her fans hooked and excited. From collaboration with Michael Stipe to playfulness on TikTok, Love is evolving as an artist in a world of creativity. And though she might experience occasional setbacks, such as a disagreement with PJ Harvey, Love will never fail to be a major power player in the music world.
