The surviving members of Soundgarden are preparing for the band’s induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Two key band members, guitarist Kim Thayil and drummer Matt Cameron, recently chatted with The Seattle Times about the upcoming honor. They also discussed the new Soundgarden album they’re working on featuring unreleased recordings the grunge legends made with late frontman Chris Cornell before his 2017 death.
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The release of the material was delayed for years because of a legal dispute with Cornell’s widow, Vicky.
“It’s a massive emotional roller coaster,” Cameron said of the project. “A lot of highs, a lot of lows. The highs are based on the fact that the music is seeing its light of day, it’s coming to life. Some of it feels like it could have been a new chapter in songwriting for the group, so that’s super bittersweet.”
He added, “[I]t’s been challenging to work on some of this music, soloing up Chris’ vocals and hearing that beautiful voice come through the speakers all on its own.”
Thayil, meanwhile, reflected on the extended time it’s taking to get this music out.
“The delay in the process was damaging in some ways to the emotive nature of the experience,” he said. “Certainly, it’s great that we’re doing it now. I’m wondering … how that emotive and creative journey might have been undertaken six, seven, eight years ago. … But there’s something also beneficial about that [delay,] because we’re doing it now, and it’s beautiful. It’s a way to post tribute to our beloved brother. All of it just has that much more weight emotionally and creatively, and we don’t take that lightly.”
Cameron Shared More Details About the Project in Another Recent Interview
Meanwhile, in a September 2025 interview on the Lyndsanity! with Lyndsey Parker podcast, Cameron revealed more details about the status of the album.
“We don’t have a release date yet, but I’d say we’re about … 70-percent finished with all the tracking and stuff,” the drummer shared. “[S]o we are hard at work at completing that album.”
Cameron noted that the songs are based on demos that the band began putting together in 2015 and 2016, as well as recordings from rough rehearsal sessions Soundgarden did in the studio in 2017 before what turned out to be the group’s final tour. Cornell died by suicide in May of that year.
“The vocals that we’re using are from the demos that we all recorded together,” Matt noted. “So we’re just sort of like building our tracks around those vocal parts. … It sounds killer, and we’re really excited to finish it.”
He added, “I think the fans will like it. And it’s going to be a really nice way to finish the creative chapter in Soundgarden.”
On the Possibility of Performing the New Soundgarden Songs Live
In the Seattle Times interview, Cameron also was asked whether Soundgarden’s surviving members have discussed performing the new songs live.
“We haven’t really gotten there yet,” he said. “We’re just trying to get the music together. But I think there might be some situations where it would be really cool to do that. It’s just a matter of getting the right people together, and we’ve got some amazing people that we’ve been working with, some singers that have expressed interest. So, we’re really, really excited about what that could potentially look like.”
On Soundgarden’s Rock Hall Induction
Cameron also reflected on Soundgarden being inducted into the Rock Hall in the wake of Cornell’s 2017 passing.
“Obviously, it’s bittersweet that he’s not here with us,” he told The Seattle Times. “I think Chris would have really enjoyed this moment of recognition, because he was always moving as an artist. He was always seeking that next phase of his writing career, performing career.”
Cameron added, “Maybe down the line he will get recognized as a solo artist or [for the grunge supergroup] Temple of the Dog or something like that because his contribution to music has been absolutely massive.”
The Seattle Times article also appears to confirm some of the artists that will perform with Soundgarden’s members at the induction ceremony.
The article mentions Heart’s Nancy Wilson, Brandi Carlile, Alice in Chains’ Jerry Cantrell, and Pearl Jam’s Mike McCready, all of whom hail from the Seattle area, as well as The Pretty Wreckless frontwoman Taylor Momsen. All of those artists have been announced as special guests at the event.
As previously reported, the 2025 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony will take place at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles on November 8.
(Photo by Martin Philbey/Redferns)
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