Melissa Auf der Maur Is 'Out of Her Mind'

There are many ways to tell a story -- words, music, film, paint -- and artists no longer have to choose just one. Case in point, the "multi-dimensional" indie release 'Out of Our Minds' by Melissa Auf der Maur, who grew up in Montreal before '90s rock stardom swept her away to play bass for Hole and Smashing Pumpkins.

Three years in the making, there's an 'OOOM' song, forthcoming album, comic book, website and 28-minute fantasy film that premiered at last year's Sundance Film Festival (albeit with a soundtrack composed by L.A. band Entrance).

"'OOOM' started as a song," Auf der Maur tells Spinner from her upstate New York home the morning after a late-night studio session laying down French vocals for a new album track. "Then, as the music industry collapsed, the song became the forefront of a new creative survivalism in my life. I wanted to take this idea as far as possible and connect with humans on many different levels. Give me a space and I will bring you 'Out of Our Minds,' be it the screen of a computer, a live rock show or a dark cinema. I wanted to create an experience that people could find their own ways into."


Thematically, 'OOOM' urges us to explore the feminine, intuitive, emotional and mystical aspects of life. Archetypes like vikings, witches, even time travel abound.

"I've never believed that time is linear. It's not past and future -- it is all here and now. I remember a night in my prepubescent years as I gazed at the stars contemplating infinity, I understood that our tiny universe's existence is just a blink of an eye in the big picture," says the 37-year old, who also goes by the moniker MAdM.

"That perspective fuels my search, my hunt and my quest to connect with other humans via music and art," she continues. "'Out of Our Minds' is a call to travel out of our minds -- and all rigid time zones that grid our lives -- and into the parallel worlds that run along us. We all have access to a Viking or a car crash if we only close our eyes and let go."

A few years ago, legal battles with her former major label prevented Auf der Maur from releasing her second record. Rather than sign with another label, she waited, buckled down and did it on her own. She now owns that unreleased material, much of which is on the OOOM album. Part of this quest has been developing an artist-run multimedia model she hopes will inspire other creative types to also take the reins of the wagon that brings their art into the world.

"I needed this time to connect all the parts," she says. "The 21st century is here and I'm not going to play into the old business model. I've worked hard on the creative stuff, but I've worked just as hard at becoming a strong, grown-up woman and self-responsible business person. But the root is still a three-and-a-half-minute song. If there wasn't the song, there wouldn't be this project. And the song is rooted in wanting to connect."

Melissa Auf der Maur is showcasing at M for Montreal this Saturday, Nov. 21 at Cabaret. 'OOOM''s lead single, '*Out Of Our Minds*' is available at xmadmx.com (free, for now).The film is screening at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts until Feb. 7, 2010 as part of the Waterhouse exhibit.