Former Hole Guitarist Eric Erlandson Comments on Kurt Cobain Book

2012-04-11

Story by Cat Badra

Eric Erlandson’s ‘Letters to Kurt’ features 52 letters dedicated to late Nirvana frontman

Last weekend marked the 18th anniversary of the fateful day the world lost Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain, a man known for his groundbreaking grunge music and creative genius. To commemorate the anniversary, Eric Erlandson, former guitarist and co-founder of Hole, released a new book, “Letters to Kurt.” The book, which is a tribute of sorts to Cobain, consists of 52 letters dedicated to the singer and songwriter.

“I’m writing these letters to him,” Erlandson told Rolling Stone regarding the read. “Tapping something deep inside myself, but am I really talking to him? No. At the same time, I think he would really like this book. He had a really dark sense of humor and he loved wordplay. Look at his lyrics. He would know what I am talking about.”

It’s no secret that Cobain struggled with drug addiction, and that craving led to his eventual suicide. Erlandson says that he’s learned to avoid drugs at any cost, largely because he saw the destruction it caused in the life of Cobain and his late ex-girlfriend, Hole bass player Kristen Pfaff.

“You know someone’s suicidal, you know someone’s playing with death, but you don’t know how to deal with it,” he said. “I admit, I made some stupid mistakes with some people, and people are dead because of my stupid mistakes. And I want to use that, so that other people don’t make the same mistakes that I made, and other people start understanding. We’ve all lost people.” Read the rest of the interview via Rolling Stone.

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Cat Badra

Meet the expert - Cat Badra is a music writer for Audio Ink Radio and a range of other music, sports and lifestyle publications. She's a graduate of Michigan State University with a master's degree in theater and speech. Contact her at cat@audioinkradio.com.