Courtney Love: “PJ Harvey is rude”

Courtney Love confirmed that a new album is in the works and talked about her collaborators – those who said yes and those who, it seems, abandoned her.

In an interview given to the English web publication The Standard, Love spoke about her new album, which will be her first album after “Nobody’s Daughter” in 2010. When asked who else in music she would like to work with, Love confirmed that Michael Stipe of REM contributed to his new project. “Stipe talked about our collaboration in the New York Times, so I can say it’s wonderful,” Love said. “I fell to the floor crying hearing his voice – it’s more beautiful than ever! I thought I knew the outcome, but I’m still the grasshopper while Michael is the sensei (Master).”

Love makes it clear that while there are other collaborators she can’t name, she didn’t have “intended” for the album to be so collaborative. However, he said he reached out PJ Harvey to work on some pieces of music, but he never called her back.

“I asked PJ Harvey to come back – I just wanted one of his big iconic guitar riffs,” Love said, “we have a relationship; I have supported her over the decades, but she has chosen not to respond to me. So I wrote to her about how rude she was. His manager has tried to smooth things over, but it’s not good: he hasn’t played rock music in 100 years! His first five albums are fantastic; after that she ventured into the art space (although I love “The Last Living Rose,” which sounds like a John Donne poem with…what the fuck? A tuba?).”

While she didn’t appreciate the fact that PJ Harvey didn’t consider her, she said that she and her producer Butch Walker they “nearly fainted” when they heard that Will Sergeant of the Echo & the Bunnymen he was willing to cooperate. “Will Sergeant, my favorite guitarist on earth, from my favorite band, agreed to work with me!” Love said. “He’s such an icon. If I lined up Jimmy Page, Jonny Greenwood and Will Sergeant, I’d always pick Sergeant; it’s crazy! He’s on this album and elevates the songs beyond description.”

Meanwhile, she told The Standard about several artists she would like to collaborate with. “Definitely Kendrick Lamar; I have a huge crush on him,” she said before listing other artists she’d like to get in the studio with, people like: Stormzy, Doja Cat, Lana Del Rey, Lorde, Dr. Dre, Ice Cube and Snoop Dogg, just to name a few.

In the interview, Love also mentions an upcoming auction for the handwritten lyrics to Hole’s song “Violet,” with proceeds going to the Ellis Park Wildlife Sanctuary. Love famously wrote the song about Billy Corganwho participated in the auction personally. “I love Corgan; he’s welcome to win! I love that guy, even when we fought in public, I never failed to love him,” he said before expressing gratitude that “Billy helped make Ellis Park appear Sumatra Sanctuary on CNN, People Magazine and USA Today.”