Melissa Auf der Maur Releases First New Music in 16 Years with Bass Womb Roo - 4-Track Demos and Field Recordings

After a 16‑year hiatus, former Hole and Smashing Pumpkins bassist Melissa Auf der Maur is back with a sonic time capsule that spans her past and present. On September 4, Envision Records will drop Bass Womb Roo: My ’90s 4‑Track Demos × Field Recordings, a collection that pairs seven unreleased 4‑track demos from the 1990s with eight newly crafted interludes tied to her upcoming photography show.

The demos were born in Auf der Maur’s living‑room home studio, recorded on a Tascam 4‑track tape recorder during the mid‑1990s. She says the tracks were written while major‑label executives pushed her toward radio‑friendly hits. In her own words, they represent “the sound of my internal experimentation” and a way to keep “the Montreal art girl alive inside.” The interludes weave in archival audio from her time with Hole and the Smashing Pumpkins, including audience snippets captured on a video camera mounted to her bass amp.

The project serves as a companion to Auf der Maur’s forthcoming photography exhibition, Melissa Auf der Maur: My ’90s Rock Photographs, which will open at the Art Gallery of Ontario in September. The show features more than 200 photographs documenting her career during the analogue era, and the release provides an audio counterpart that invites listeners into the creative process behind the images.

Envision Records, known for its mix of indie and experimental releases, will make the collection available on major streaming platforms and as a limited‑run cassette. The cassette format echoes the analog aesthetic of the demos and appeals to collectors who value tangible media. A teaser for the new composition “Skip a Beat” was shared on social media, giving fans a taste of the interludes’ sonic texture.

Auf der Maur’s solo career began with the 2004 self‑titled album Auf der Maur on Capitol Records, followed by Out of Our Minds in 2010 on her own label PHI–MAdM Music. The new release marks her first original material since that second album, a milestone that has been long awaited by fans who have followed her work over the past decade and a half.

The announcement comes on the heels of her memoir Even the Good Girls Will Cry, released in March 2026. The book recounts her experiences in the 1990s rock scene and provides context for the themes explored in the demos, helping to renew interest in her earlier work and set the stage for the current audio project.

In addition to the album, the announcement noted that Hole’s Instagram account will tease new content on July 24. While the details of that tease are not yet confirmed, the timing suggests a coordinated effort to highlight Auf der Maur’s return to the public eye.

Overall, Bass Womb Roo offers a rare glimpse into the formative years of a prominent 1990s bassist. By pairing personal demos with new interludes and linking the release to a visual exhibition, Auf der Maur crafts a multi‑medium narrative that underscores her continued relevance in contemporary music and art circles.

The September 4 release date means that listeners can access the material immediately upon launch. Envision Records will distribute the collection through digital storefronts and physical cassette retailers, ensuring that both analog and digital audiences can experience the work.