Perry tells PEOPLE about how her breast cancer journey and the death of her mom inspired her new album, 'Let It Die Here'
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NEED TO KNOW
- Linda Perry’s new album Let It Die Here comes after her breast cancer journey and the loss of her mother
- Perry tells PEOPLE her mother’s death left her questioning her identity after years of a complex relationship
- She will receive the Special International Award at the Ivor Novello Awards for her decades-long songwriting career
Linda Perry is getting candid about her personal life.
The Songwriters Hall of Fame member, 59, released a new album, Let It Die Here, earlier this month, and the vulnerable record comes after Perry's breast cancer journey as well as the death of her mom.
Perry tells PEOPLE the complex experiences changed her outlook on life. "The health, I knew that that wasn't going to take me down," she says after getting diagnosed in late 2022 and undergoing a double mastectomy the following year.
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While recovering from surgery, Perry's elderly mother died of an illness. "That was intense," says the 4 Non Blondes member, who's spoken about facing abuse from her late mom. Perry's recent documentary, also titled Let It Die Here, featured her taking care of her mother toward the end of her life.
"That really changed a lot because I lost my villain. I lost my muse. I lost my superhero," explains Perry. "I've been kind of walking around going, 'I don't have anybody to fight anymore.' I mean, there's plenty of people to fight, but not like that. I don't have anyone to blame."
Following her mom's death, the "What's Up" artist adds, "You're just left with the question after spending years in this battle, who am I without it? So my journey now is about, and that's kind of like the second half of the record, what happens."
Perry felt both "anxiety and excitement" leading up to the album's release. "I'm a very sensitive person, and I haven't released a record in a long time," she says.
"There's a lot of emotions I'm having, but one, I guess, is the biggest if I break it down — I'm really happy because I think I can handle whatever comes. And I'm so grateful that people even give a s—. It's a tough world out there. It's tough for musicians. It's tough to be an artist in today's time," she continues.
The Let It Die Here album came out on May 8, and Perry hopes she "can touch a few people" with its soul-baring material. "I do think this record is very relatable," she says. "It's about losing my mom and the complexity between us. It's a lot, though. It's not a squat and go. You've got to take it in."
Later this year, Perry will receive the prestigious Special International Award at the 71st Ivor Novello Awards following her decades-long career, which has included writing hits like Pink's “Get the Party Started,” Christina Aguilera's “Beautiful” and Gwen Stefani's “What You Waiting For?,” among others.
"I don't take these awards like, 'Oh, I'm the best.' I just look at it as things that are showing up to tell you, 'Okay, you're on the right path. You're doing the right things,'" she says of the honor.
Perry adds, "It's not a validation, but it is in a weird way. It's nice to get that understanding because most of us walk aimlessly. What a gift to be able to get a little marker going, 'Here you are. You're doing good. Keep doing what you're doing.'"
The 2026 Ivor Novello Awards with Amazon Music will go down at London's Grosvenor House on Thursday, May 21.
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