Courtney Love has shared more details about her upcoming solo album, including its collaborators — both the ones who said yes and the one who, apparently, ghosted her.
As she explained in a new interview with The Standard, Love didn’t “intend” for the album to be so collaborative. She’s choosing to keep most of its contributors close to the vest, but she did confirm Michael Stipe’s involvement. “Stipe mentioned our collaboration to The New York Times, so I can say it’s gorgeous,” Love explained. “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.”
She also confirmed that that Echo & the Bunnymen’s Will Sergeant plays on the album. “Will Sergeant, my favorite guitarist on earth, from my favorite band agreed to work with me!,” Love said. “He’s such an icon. If you lined up Jimmy Page, Jonny Greenwood, and Will Sergeant, I’d pick Sergeant every time; it’s insane! He’s on this album and elevating songs beyond description.”
One name not featured on the album, however? PJ Harvey, who apparently didn’t even bother responding to Love’s outreach. “I did ask PJ Harvey to come back – I wanted just one of her great iconic Stones guitar riffs,” Love said. “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 also highlighted several other artists she’d love to collaborate with in the future, including Kendrick Lamar (“I have a mad crush on him”), Stormzy, Doja Cat, Lana Del Rey, Lorde, Dr. Dre, Ice Cube, and Snoop Dogg.
The Hole singer has yet to formally announce the album or provide a release timetable. She did, however, reveal that she worked on the album with producer Butch Walker. To date, her only solo record, America’s Sweetheart, came out in 2004.
Elsewhere in her interview, Love discussed the upcoming auction for her handwritten lyrics to the song “Violet” by Hole, with proceeds going to the Ellis Park Wildlife Sanctuary. Love famously wrote the song about Billy Corgan, who entered the auction himself this month. “I love Corgan; he’s welcome to win! I love that guy, even when we beefed in public, I never didn’t love him,” she said before expressing gratitude that “Billy helped get Ellis Park Sumatra Sanctuary featured on CNN, People Magazine, and USA Today.” Check out the full interview with Courtney Love here.