Posts Tagged ‘thayil’

Soundgarden’s Kim Thayil Addresses Reunion ‘Cash Grab’ Accusations

Cindy Ord, Getty Images Soundgarden ‘s reunion continues to be a fruitful one, with the band finally offering their first new music in 16 years with the ‘ King Animal ‘ album. And while there are some that may question their motives for getting back together, guitarist Kim Thayil says it was truly a quite organic happening. Thayil told The Phoenix that the band re-opened discussions over the lack of direction where their catalog was concerned, with the group not necessarily having any web presence for the better part of a decade. After getting past the business, the band members then discussed the idea to play and record again. There were some in the media (as well as one of their peers, Billy Corgan ) who argued that their initial return was a “ cash grab ,” which Thayil debates. The guitarist says, “How is it a cash grab? Since when is there money in making records anymore [laughs]? I mean, playing Lollapalooza was a one-day payday, but … and by the way, since when do we need money? We’re not like the Afghan Whigs or Pavement. We had a fairly successful career. Matt Cameron played in Pearl Jam for God’s sake! What the hell does he need to spend another, you know, 20 hours a week dedicated to writing and rehearsing Soundgarden songs and tending to Soundgarden’s business? He’s doing just fine thank you.” Thayil credits Matt Cameron for starting the creative process with tracks he wanted the band to check out that didn’t quite fit Pearl Jam. He adds, “I think for Matt it’s really just a labor of love and it’s a great creative outlet for him. He wanted to see Ben [Shepherd] and I playing again and Chris [Cornell] writing new Soundgarden songs. I don’t think Chris needs the money. It seems like he did pretty well with Audioslave and his solo career.” In related news, Soundgarden has returned to the road to support the ‘King Animal’ album. As part of the trek, fans now have a chance to purchase special meet-and-greet packages to hang out with Chris Cornell at their tour stops. A pair of tickets are being auctioned off for each date with the proceeds going to the Chris and Vicky Cornell Foundation, which was recently launched with the goal of protecting vulnerable children. The organization tackles such issues as homelessness, poverty, neglect and abuse. To get your tickets, meet Chris Cornell and support the foundation, visit the Luminary Lane website here . [button href=”http://loudwire.com/soundgarden-2013-must-see-rock-concerts/” title=”Next: Soundgarden – 2013 Must-See Rock Concerts” align=”center”]

Soundgarden’s Kim Thayil Recalls Attempt at Supergroup With Nirvana’s Krist Novoselic

Michael Buckner / Jason Kempin, Getty Images After grunge legends Soundgarden chose call it quits in 1997, the band members who helped bring the group to worldwide prosperity all ventured out into various musical projects. Vocalist Chris Cornell  and drummer Matt Cameron continued their massive careers after the breakup, but guitarist Kim Thayil chose to keep a low profile. However, Thayil reveals that he had started a supergroup with Nirvana bassist Krist Novoselic and other prominent musicians. Following the disintegration of Soundgarden, Cornell found massive success with Audioslave, which combined the singer’s talent with the instrumental section of Rage Against the Machine . Drummer Matt Cameron also remained in the limelight after the breakup, going on to man the drums for Pearl Jam . Cameron also joined forces with bassist Ben Shepherd to form Wellwater Conspiracy and Hater, but where was Kim Thayil during this period? In a recent interview with Spinner , Thayil revealed that he had no desire to become neither a “hired gun,” nor a member of a “B-grade Soundgarden.” “I declined participation in a lot of projects and collaborations,” reveals Thayil. “I didn’t want to be part of someone else’s band or part of a collaborative effort that wasn’t something I started … I avoided playing in another heavy rock band. Which, if I’d pursued that, would have been a B-grade Soundgarden. I was perfectly comfortable denying the expected ambition of a successful pop culture participant.” Thayil lent his talents to Dave Grohl ‘s Probot project during Soundgarden’s hiatus, and worked with doom legends Sunn 0))) on their 2006 split with Japanese metal band Boris. In addition to these works, Thayil jammed with Krist Novoselic from Nirvana, Bubba Dupree from Void and Alfredo Hernandez from Queens of the Stone Age . “We were jamming on and off for a couple years but there was no singer,” says Thayil. “A lot of instrumental stuff and beer drinking.” Kim Thayil is now back with Soundgarden, who just released ‘King Animal,’ their first album in 16 years. [button href=”http://loudwire.com/soundgarden-rock-jimmy-kimmel-live/” title=”Watch Soundgarden Rock ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live!'” align=”center”]