Yesterday, I found out that I would have the opportunity today to speak to a member of Hole--and even "possibly Courtney Love," her publicist assured me.
So I immediately got on the computer doing a little last-minute research, all the while wondering if she'd even call in the first place.
I decided I'd ask her about her newest album, Nobody's Daughter, about her former bandmate Eric Erlandson saying that the new incarnation of Hole would "ruin the Hole legacy, just for some cheap thrills," and about her recently portrayal by VH1 in her episode of Behind the Music.
In all, I had about eight or so questions planned out. Didn't figure we'd have too much time, what with Hole performing at the House of Blues later this evening.
I learned quickly that one should never plan anything out when dealing with Courtney Love. I was able to get out a single question in the first 45 minutes.
One.
I asked her about Nobody's Daughter originally being intended as a
solo release and then eventually being released under the Hole name.
"I
was never going to call it a solo album because I argued in my head
whether it should be called Hole or Courtney Love," she assured me
before segueing into discussing a dinner she recently had with director
Milos Forman.
What followed was two hours of circular logic, long
tangents, and hard to follow ramblings--none of which Love allowed me
to interrupt. In lieu of the standard Q&A-style interview--or
posting two full hours of Love's ramblings--I thought I'd just
pull a few of the best quotes out for you to read.
- "Russell Brand was the best dinner I've ever had; he was loquacious, he was brilliant, he was all the things you imagine Russell being".
- "I talk a lot, I'm erratic, I fucking go off on tangents." (Truer words have never been spoken.)
- On taking anti-depressants: "Doing Abilify is like doing jumping jacks in a fucking closet."
About 45 minutes in, I was finally able to fire off my second question regarding her portrayal by VH1 in her Behind the Music. Love's response? "I think the first hour is great, on the button, totally good," before adding a half-hour later that "the last hour is a fucking waste."
More Courtney musings:
- On Scarlett Johansson potentially playing her in a biopic: "Some people think she's wrong to play me because she's prettier than me. She's not that much prettier than me."
- "I've never peed in front of a guy -not even a gay guy.
- My net worth is higher than my alleged IQ."
Then she calls back. I pondered pretending my battery had died.
After four phone calls, I decided to pick up. It was Love's publicist. Apparently, Love refused to do any of the rest of her interviews scheduled for the day until she "officially wrapped things up" with me.
Right away, Love promised, "I'm looking forward to tonight's show," before telling me about a constellation and then spending 55 more minutes on loosely connected ramblings.
Amidst those, however, was the lone great revelation of the interview--the thing that perhaps made the whole thing worth it.
"Eric Erlandson and myself shall not play guitar together again," Love said, later citing that it is for "religious purposes" having to do with them being of different Buddhist sects that are not allowed to be in the same room as one another.
At the end of the call, Love told me I was "lucky" because I was probably going to be the only interview she was actually going to go through with the whole day.
Yes. Two hours on the phone with Courtney Love and only two questions asked.
Lucky me, indeed.
