A new memoir from late L7 bassist Jennifer Finch will be coming out early next year, and it will detail her time performing with the Santa Monica-formed grunge-punk icons, her drug addiction, political advocacy and more.
The tome is titled SHOOTING UP AND MAKING OUT: A Memoir of My Life in LA and L7, and it was co-authored between Finch and Jeff Alulis ahead of the L7 member’s passing last month, following a battle with brain cancer.
The book is described in press materials as “a candid and clear-eyed memoir that stands apart from the rest with its grounded perspective and bracing, edgy wisdom.”
SHOOTING UP AND MAKING OUT will reportedly detail Finch’s entry into the L.A. hardcore scene when she was a teenager, as well as forming her first band with future Hole leader Courtney Love and Babes in Toyland guitarist-vocalist Kat Bjelland.
While it’s also primed to cover the beginnings of L7 and their rise from the punk scene into the mainstream during the Nineties alternative boom — leading to MTV coverage, shows with Pearl Jam and the Red Hot Chili Peppers, a slot on the 1994 edition of Lollapalooza and more — the book is also expected to take stock of the creation of the Rock for Choice non-profit, Finch’s struggles with heroin addiction and long path to sobriety, dating Dave Grohl, and more.
“Jennifer’s memoir was the last major project she completed before she passed away,” co-writer Alulis said in a statement. “She and I worked together for two years to make sure she was happy with every word of it, and with someone as intentional and thoughtful as Jennifer, that was no small task! I’m heartbroken that she won’t get to see it published, but I’m thrilled to share her life and legacy with the world.”
“Da Capo is honored to have a part in Jennifer Finch’s legacy with the publication of Shooting Up and Making Out,” adds Da Capo executive editor Ben Schafer. “Completed just before her death, this is the story of Jennifer’s incredible life as she lived and remembered it. She poured her soul into every word. Like her, it is as real as it gets, suffused with hard-earned insight into the human condition, and shot through with tender compassion.”
SHOOTING UP AND MAKING OUT: A Memoir of My Life in LA and L7 is due out January 19th, 2027. You can pre-order the book here.
As previously reported, Finch passed away in July shortly after revealing her brain cancer diagnosis. She had been set to take off on L7’s “The Last Hurrah” farewell tour, but explained in May that she would not be participating in the trip because of her health.
L7’s tour continues in October, with bassist Tsuzumi Okai (Kim Dracula, the Binges). You’ll find more date info here.
