Soundgarden Guitarist Discusses Possible Reunion

Greg Prato (MySpace page) of RollingStone.com recently conducted an interview with former Soundgarden guitarist Kim Thayil. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow below.

RollingStone.com: "What have you been up to since Soundgarden's split?"

Thayil: "Mostly I've done session stuff with friends now and then. Most of the time, I've declined opportunities to play live, record or form bands. Just keeping it a little bit "lower," so I have time to do other things besides be on the road [laughs]. I think the one I've enjoyed the most is sitting in on the Altar sessions with SUNN O))) and BORIS. There's a sort of pop-grunge singer from Japan, a woman named Aya, that was being produced by Adam Kasper. Matt Cameron and Krist Novoselic also played on that record, and I played solos on five songs. The album [titled "Senjou no Hana"] was only released in Japan. Spent a long time mixing that NO WTO COMBO record ["Live from the Battle in Seattle", with Novoselic and ex-DEAD KENNEDYS singer Jello Biafra]. Also, the work I did with Steve Fisk — both with PIGEONHED and the last solo Steve Fisk record, "999 Levels of Undo", I wrote some parts and came up with some leads. Besides working with the guys from SUNN O))) and BORIS, I really like the work I've done with Steve Fisk. Believe it or not, in the early '90s, I did some TV commercial soundtrack with Steve! It was a Christmas spot — lots of weird, chaotic noise — for a retail store."

"How did the recent "3/4 Soundgarden reunion" performance come together? (See fan-filmed video footage here.)"

"Tom Morello was coming through with the Justice Tour, and he had asked Susan Silver [Soundgarden's manager] — Tom wanted to get some notorious rock locals. Ben Shepherd and I were asked separately — we were going to be on the bill separately. As things worked out, it was getting close to the gig date, and Ben had not put together any project, and the guys that I was jamming with, our ideas were not gelling. We were going to do some old punk rock covers, and have [Mudhoney's] Mark Arm sing. That fell through. And Tom called, and said, "Would Ben and Kim like to join me on stage to do 'Spoonman'?" And we said, "Sure. But we heard Matt is coming down to the show, and I'm not going to play it in front of Matt — I would play it with Matt." So I called Matt, and he said sure. Ben said, "Let's do the first single, 'Hunted Down'/'Nothing to Say', and then we'll do 'Spoonman'." And then this left a problem with who we would get to sing with us. A lot of people that I asked were real hesitant — they didn't want to replicate Chris' performance. So it had to be Tad [Doyle], right? It had to be the guy with God's Balls to say, "f--k yeah, I'll do it!" We went down to the PEARL JAM rehearsal space and had one practice on a Monday and rehearsed for an hour and a half. The next day, we went over them at soundcheck, and then we busted out those three songs [at the Crocodile Cafe]."

"Could Soundgarden ever reunite?"

"People would have to want to. I think more importantly, tending to the merchandising catalog is something that would be satisfying for the band members and for the fans. I never say never ... but I'm not losing too much sleep over it, either."

Read the entire interview from RollingStone.com.

Comments

[slypoonce]

lol, the last few soundgarden articles make me laugh.. "members reunite", "reunion in the works", "no plans for a reunion", "possible reunion"..

i'm finally at the point where.. if they do it.. then cool, i'll be ecstatic. if not, that's fine too. they've left their mark on this industry and no one's going to forget it anytime soon.

and damn... what a list of people kim gets to just jam around with and make records. i really want to hear that Aya record.

[the_bear_shark]

Stop taunting us Goddamnit!

[Mr. Tomnus]

this is gonna end up like the whole velvet revolver singer or zeppelin reunion tour with a changing story on UG every time i come back from a piss.

[Wiirdo]

Jesus Christ, just confirm it already. Thayil was the main reason it didn't happen already, and now even he's open to the idea.

[JordanDH]

Wiirdo wrote:

Jesus Christ, just confirm it already. Thayil was the main reason it didn't happen already, and now even he's open to the idea.

I thought it was Cornell.

[Raizer Sabre]

haven't they basically been doing the same soundgarden story for months on end now

[nave890]

do it, everybodies doing it, stp, aic, ratm, we need peer pressure here folks

[SuicidalFreak]

nave890 wrote:

do it, everybodies doing it, stp, aic, ratm, we need peer pressure here folks

I agree. Stone Temple Pilots, Alice in Chains, Rage Against the Machine, The Smashing Pumpkins, Jane's Addiction, Faith No More, Living Colour, Blind Melon and other great old school bands have all reunited, and I hope Soundgarden will do the same thing! Kyuss and System of a Down (though they've been on hiatus without breaking up) should also do that too.

[98Timberwolf]

Just do it! I don't know if I can take any more "possible renunion"/"no plans for reunion" articles! Succumb to peer pressure!!!

[TBezza]

People would have to want to

Ah. Because nobody you know wants it? I want it. A hell of a lot of peeps want it. It would be epic. Though with all these rumour mill news stories, hard to believe.

[Lgndkllr777]

Didn't the bassist flip out on Brent Smith for saying that someone told him Soundgarden might reunite??

[McFoss]

Maybe soon the 90's comeback will be complete. Now all we need is a Nirvana reunion.

[shwilly]

People would have to want to

People do

[SuicidalFreak]

McFoss wrote:

Maybe soon the 90's comeback will be complete. Now all we need is a Nirvana reunion.

No, we don't. Kurt Cobain doesn't deserve to be replaced in Nirvana.

[crazy8rgood]

:wtf: I'm so confused.

[Hells_Bell]

I hope it does happen, maybe it'll make Cornell stop making his new crappy music.

[Igotyerbooty]

Hells_Bell wrote:

I hope it does happen, maybe it'll make Cornell stop making his new crappy music.

+1 lmao

[grungy1]

Since Susan Silver is Soundgarden's manager and Chris' crazy ex-wife, i wouldn't hold my breath on Chris ever reuniting with them.

[metal@hart1101]

songs sounded just terrible with that tad doyle guy. just terrible

[fede01_8]

tom morello talkin to Thayil is like two people who shared the same girlfriend. awkward!

[Smiter]

fede01_8 wrote:

tom morello talkin to Thayil is like two people who shared the same girlfriend. awkward!

I doubt that they're both banging Cornell.

[Bambi Slaughter]

****ing reunite already. DO IT!!!!!

[trurob101]

Im sick if the stories changing every second, DAM YOU UG!!!!

[Tag43]

slypoonce wrote:

lol, the last few soundgarden articles make me laugh.. "members reunite", "reunion in the works", "no plans for a reunion", "possible reunion"..

i'm finally at the point where.. if they do it.. then cool, i'll be ecstatic. if not, that's fine too. they've left their mark on this industry and no one's going to forget it anytime soon.

this. yeah, if they do or don't, then okay, you know? but if they then, yeah, it'd be awesome.

[misfit_lover]

trurob101 wrote:

Im sick if the stories changing every second, DAM YOU UG!!!!

haha

[slush21]

From the way it sounds, Soundgarden is getting as much hype as they can by all these possible reunion rumors. In my opinion they will reunite and this is the most obvious way of pointing at it... Only one band has really not reunited after rumors and that was Pink Floyd (besides the 1 live aid concert).

[Force Reaver]

no one cares anymore. stop playing with us there are just a bunch of "could be" "maybe" "possible"'s floating around and until one of them gets off their lazy ass and makes it happen we are gonna be stuck following the carrot on the stick. Get one thing straight the fans want it so make it happen already damnit and tell Chris to stop making shity covers of songs no one cares about cough... cough.. "Billy Jean"

[GMPX]

metal@hart1101 wrote:

songs sounded just terrible with that tad doyle guy. just terrible

TAD was a great band, but the idea of Tad Doyle singing Soundgarden songs is as good a match as Enya singing some Cannibal Corpse.
I saw Soundgarden live in the 90's a few times, they were very good, but it's time to move on from this reunion crap (band included).

[soapalot]

Force Reaver wrote:
and tell Chris to stop making shity covers of songs no one cares about cough... cough.. "Billy Jean"

It's 'Billie Jean.' The song is about a woman, not William Jean. And I think Cornell's cover of it is the best thing he's done since Audioslave.

[Echoplex]

A reunion? O rlly?

grungy1 wrote:

Since Susan Silver is Soundgarden's manager and Chris' crazy ex-wife, i wouldn't hold my breath on Chris ever reuniting with them.

Couldn't they just fire her?

Checked.

[cooljew]

soapalot wrote:

Force Reaver wrote:
and tell Chris to stop making shity covers of songs no one cares about cough... cough.. "Billy Jean"

It's 'Billie Jean.' The song is about a woman, not William Jean. And I think Cornell's cover of it is the best thing he's done since Audioslave.

i agree with you one 100%, that cover was ****in great, and all his new solo stuff blows ass

[cooljew]

JordanDH wrote:

Wiirdo wrote:

Jesus Christ, just confirm it already. Thayil was the main reason it didn't happen already, and now even he's open to the idea.
I thought it was Cornell.

for sure it was cornell, in interviews he says that he doesn't want a reunion because it would tarnish their image and history... he's dead wrong of course.

[Vicryl 2.0]

once thayil confirms it then my hope is up.... but i havent heard or read of any confirmation yet.

and with Susan Silverman, i dunno how that works..prety awkward i guess to have both standing at different ends of the corner..hehe

[Bad_Penny]

Cornell's cover of billie jean was great??! Surely ur smokin crack or somethin yeh? The man should be locked up 4 rape

[original_rocker]

If it means i'd get to see them live then a reunion would be amazing. And as mentioned Cornell will possibly stop making the strange strange music he's turned to recently...

[Ponyexpress]

unless Cornell changes his mind it's not happening which is fine with me because I'm not going to spend 200$ to sit in the back to watch a band that hasn't practiced together for ages other then a month of rehearsal right before the show then again I'm not a huge a huge soundgarden fan I doubt anything is gonna happen but with the way Cornell is these day I just don't know ... God knows