Da Capo to Publish EVEN THE GOOD GIRLS WILL CRY: A ’90s Rock Memoir By Melissa Auf der Maur, a remarkably open-hearted, clear-eyed memoir of the ’90s Alternative era by the bassist of Hole and The Smashing Pumpkins
EVEN THE GOOD GIRLS WILL CRY is slated to release March 17, 2026
New York, NY (October 30, 2025)—Da Capo, an imprint of Grand Central Publishing (GCP) and the Hachette Book Group announce the publication of EVEN THE GOOD GIRLS WILL CRY: A ’90s Rock Memoir by Melissa Auf der Maur on March 17, 2026. “Melissa Auf der Maur’s eyewitness account of rock and roll counterculture in the last days of the 20th century is spellbinding, harrowing, heartbreaking, and redemptive,” stated Ben Schafer, Executive Editor, Da Capo. “EVEN THE GOOD GIRLS WILL CRY is a truthful testament to the humanity of the artists who made the music that soundtracked the era, one that Da Capo is thrilled to publish.”
“This book is about the decade that defined me and my generation, 1991-2001, and my life in the rock bands which allowed me to have a front row seat to an incredibly visceral and unforgettable moment in the counterculture,” said Auf der Maur. “It’s a love letter to the power of music and one-of-a-kind voices that make the world a cooler place; it’s also an ode to the analog, and what magic has been lost. Sharing what our generation witnessed, and what the world once was, in my hope of building a more livable future together.”
EVEN THE GOOD GIRLS WILL CRY begins with Auf der Maur’s bohemian upbringing in Montreal, where her early, deep connection to art and music gave her entry to the colorful and thriving local creative scene. Working as a cassette DJ and ticket girl, she would see (and sometimes meet) the luminaries who’d pass through town—Nirvana, Jane’s Addiction, Pavement, Sonic Youth. Thanks to a thrown beer bottle and a long-shot fan letter to a PO Box, her band Tinker scored a life-changing opening slot for The Smashing Pumpkins and, sensing her natural talent on bass, Billy Corgan recommended her to Courtney Love, just one of the many uncanny threads that weaves destiny throughout this riveting memoir.
Whisked from her local scene and thrust into the eye of a hurricane of grief on a global stage, Melissa joined Hole for the band’s 1994 Live Through This world tour just after the deaths of Kurt Cobain and Hole’s prior bassist, Kristen Pfaff, with Courtney Love at the center of it all. It was a tour of passionate intensity, as a chaotic yet stunningly powerful band constantly threatened to spin out of control. Melissa brings the reader with raging intimacy into the action, offering a heroic portrait of the unforgettable Courtney Love as she howled into the darkness as if to keep grief at bay.
That was only the beginning of Melissa’s journey through alternative rock. Part rock memoir, part travel diary, part psychedelic scrapbook, EVEN THE GOOD GIRLS WILL CRY is a behind-the-scenes rock ’n’ roll memoir with a soulful intimacy and mystic undertone that sets it apart from memoirs by her peers. It is a vivid dispatch from the last analog decade, artistically capturing that bygone era in all its messy, angsty glory.
About Melissa Auf der Maur: Melissa Auf der Maur, was born and raised in Montreal, Canada with a fine arts education. She is an acclaimed musician, photographer, curator and producer, best known as the former bassist of rock bands Hole and The Smashing Pumpkins. In 2010 she co-founded Basilica Hudson, a multidisciplinary art center in Hudson, NY, where she lives with her family and magic cats.
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About Da Capo:
Da Capo is an imprint dedicated to publishing definitive biographies, memoirs, and narrative non-fiction about music and musicians. Through music, we encounter the world and the counterculture traditions that have animated creative movements in the 20th and 21st centuries. From classic rock and punk to metal, jazz, and hip hop, Da Capo’s books are made with the active listener in mind, whose music is a cornerstone of their identity.
About Grand Central Publishing:
Grand Central Publishing reaches a diverse audience through books that cater to every kind of reader. Its imprints are Balance, Cardinal, Da Capo, Forever, Grand Central, and Legacy Lit. Grand Central Publishing is one of three divisions of the Grand Central Publishing Group, which also includes Hachette Nashville and Union Square & Co.
About Hachette Book Group:
Hachette Book Group (HBG) is a leading US general-interest book publisher made up of dozens of esteemed imprints within the publishing groups Basic Books Group; Grand Central Publishing Group; Hachette Audio; Little, Brown and Company; Little, Brown Books for Young Readers; Orbit; and Workman Running Press Group. We also provide custom distribution, fulfillment, and sales services to other publishing companies.
Our books and authors have received the Pulitzer Prize, National Book Award, Caldecott Medal, Newbery Medal, Booker Prize, Nobel Peace Prize and other major honors.
We are committed to diversity in our company and our publishing programs, and to fostering a culture of inclusion for all our employees and authors. We are proud to be part of Hachette Livre, the world’s third-largest trade and educational publisher.
Visit hachettebookgroup.com to learn more about HBG imprints. For updated news follow HBG on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Threads, TikTok, X.com, Pinterest, and YouTube.
MEDIA CONTACTS:
Grand Central Publishing & Da Capo
Tara Kennedy, Tara.Kennedy@hbgusa.com
Audere Media
Brian Ulicky, brian@auderemedia.com and Aileen Boyle, aileen@auderemedia.com
Pitch Perfect PR
Jaycee Rockhold, jaycee@pitchperfectpr.com