Kim Thayil confirms Soundgarden are finishing album featuring Chris Cornell vocals
"It's important for the legacy of Chris Cornell"
Soundgarden guitarist Kim Thayil has confirmed that the surviving members of the band are putting the finishing touches to their unreleased recordings that feature vocals from late-great frontman Chris Cornell.
Appearing on the latest episode of YouTube show ‘Joann Butler in Studio With…’ to promote his upcoming autobiography A Screaming Life, Thayil said that he and bassist Ben Shepherd and drummer Matt Cameron are working with producer Terry Date on the songs.
Esteemed rock and metal producer Date previously helmed Soundgarden’s ‘Louder than Love’ and ‘Badmotorfinger’ albums more than three decades ago.
“This material has been in existence for over 10 years in some cases, 14, 15 years, it was in various stages of writing, sharing, learning, recording,” Thayil said.
“So what we need to do is finish that process, and most of the process, most of the writing had been complete. It’s mostly about recording.
“There were things that had been demoed by me, by Matt, by Chris, by Ben. But, again, demo. They’re very rough. They’re sketches. You start with a little pencil sketch, and you fill it in with whatever, chalks or oils or pastels. And that’s what we have to do, is finish the sketches. And we’re in that process.
“It is atypical in the way we approach it. There isn’t a record label budgeting time and money, with a particular schedule. With everybody else’s obligations, professionally or with family or whatever, we have to find the time and coordinate amongst ourselves to address the work, and it’s being addressed.”
Thayil went on to stress how the project is all about honour, explaining: “It’s very, very important to all of us. It’s important for the legacy of Soundgarden. It’s important for the legacy of Chris Cornell, it is doing right by our collective work. It is doing right by our partner and friend.”
Soundgarden were previously locked in a multi-year legal dispute with Chris Cornell’s estate over the rights to the final recordings. The case was settled in 2023.
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