Nov 09, 2025
3 min read
Soundgarden's Kim Thayil on the band's origins and intentions, his long friendship with Chris Cornell, and his thoughts on the Rock Hall of Fame.
Even that's hard to imagine in a time when genres were blurring.Four decades agoMusic fans are also divided and divided into record store genres.Back thenRock music fans wander into country or soul zones.(And vice versa) It's often like walking into an area where people find you funny.Even in the rock music industrySubcultures are still divided.and no more than thatPunk and Heavy Metal
Of course, this was absurd, because the styles were very similar – fast guitars and aggression – and because most of the musicians in both bands initially started playing music because of bands like Kiss and Led Zeppelin and Aerosmith.But for the most part, they hated each other like rival gangs: A punk musician who joined a metal band was mercilessly mocked by his former friends.It was actually a big deal when Megadeth frontman Dave Mustaine put a Sex Pistols sticker on his guitar in the mid-'80s, and when Metallica covered a Misfits song.
But those boundaries were quickly pushed over the next few years, and Soundgarden had more than a little to do with it: Their 1987 debut EP, "Screaming Life," was the most vibrant and compelling fusion of punk and hard rock to date.Other bands had done it before (including pioneering Seattle rock band Green River, who split the gap by evolving into Pearl Jam and Mudhoney) and it would become the basis for the sound of the grunge genre that began, but Soundgarden was the first band where it really felt like the two genres were proudly equal in their shared DNA.
Famous
Along with frontman Chris Cornell, guitarist Kim Thayil is the only band member who is with Soundgarden full-time.He, Cornell - who initially served as drummer and singer - and bassist Hiro Yamamoto formed the group in 1984. Eventually, Cornell decided to become the lead singer, and after a brief stint with Scott Sundquist on drums - who played on the band's legendary debut recording on the legendary "Deepilon9 and Matt" remained in 1986.
Soundgarden's first operation lasted more than a decade, until they decided to split in 1997, after releasing five albums, two EPs and Bounty's follow-up.All four members worked on solo projects or in different bands, but Cameron RedShon and Mingl Intern, "and received regular treatment in 2011.
Five members of Cameron - SemenutsCaught by Thayil last week during a break from putting on a show.Cameron sent photos of the bandmames supporting Pearl and Taylor's album.
I think we should start with the obvious question: How will it affect rock and roll fame?
"In the 80's or even in the 90's, rock and hall of fame was not something that I considered a negative consequence of my work or my work. I did not see it as a goal, it was not on my radar, under the essence we came from I did not see it as a level of excellence or a measurable amount.
So how do you judge a job?We wanted to be the kind of band that inspired people to pick up a tool and start writing and producing their own original music, and hopefully it took off.We don't want people to give us people, and we weren't interested in giving back to anyone.
All of us - I mean mainly Chris and Hiro and me, who formed the band - and we all think that there are differences from each other from the current.So our goal is to be honest as individuals and find a point where the three of us share a vision and develop it.And in doing that, you come up with something different and unique, but also familiar because you are young and have some reference points.That's where Soundgarden's identity lies.
One of the many targets is KatheLa or Pink Switch, like the Rooster or Kuabat we saw, and we continue.
But it makes you ask, how do you describe Fvarr's hall?You're selling, how many times have you been on MTV, how many 9 top 40?They were not on our radar.But when you start looking at artists and artists because of the way they support—and the musicians coming up, you think, maybe they were sticky when they were clean.
When do you think it started happening?
I think my opinion of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame changed because of Chris' experience when he inducted Hart [in 2013].Chris and Ben Shepherd attended that year and both returned with positive experiences.Chris said to me, “You know how we've always felt about the Hall of Fame and that it didn't matter to us?It's important for the fans."Chris said it was the insight that made him realize it was a valuable institution.
And he convinced me - we may have had a few different conversations about it, but I trusted Chris' judgment and insight on that front.I mean, we're all good friends and I trusted his understanding and the way he shared it with me.
I also feel that both the Stones and the Hall of Fame and the Grammys have gotten a lot better in the last 20 years or so.It looked very sick, very sick and twisted, with mick Jumger and the foundation of rock] Jann Wenner and the type of pop.
(Laughs) You mentioned the first two words that came to mind.
But she has a lot of open-mindedness, and I think the Gragys do too.
I think that's the bottom line.It's the tolerant rock, the tolerant culture and the Boomer Boomer sound of every Vietnam War movie - that seems to be the direction.But they've changed things, it's become a white men's club that takes a back seat to realize that musicians are listening and how they're being influenced.
It seems like the key is that when they brought in people like Tom Morello and Questlove, you almost immediately saw Kiss and Chic being brought in - they had a huge impact on their generation, but the previous generation didn't see that.
And that's the point.Kiss had an impact - not only did they sell a lot of records, but they got millions of kids to pick up a guitar and start bands.I mean, grunge, punk, thrash, so many aspects of American popular culture can be traced back to little kids saying, "Wow, this is cool. I want a guitar!"
During "Screaming Life," we never heard a band quite like Black Sabbath and the Butthole Surfers.Green River did to an extent, but at the time punk and metal was the whole world.
I mean, I probably had the first two Sabbath albums and also the first two Butthole Surfers albums in my record collection, and they were probably in Chris's collection and [Green River/Mudhoney singer] Mark Arms as well, I guarantee.
Was it intentional or did it just come out?
Like, "I love listening to these two things, they're both culturally important and important to my identity. I'm going to play the music that's in my head honestly, just like Hiro and Chris. That intersection is who we are."
We shared enough influence with each other to have a good core identity.I was 16 years old, learning to play the guitar, then there's the Sex Pistols, here's the Ramones.I get these records, oh my god, not just my talent and ability as a guitar player, but these cool distorted chords, cool grooves, all the good stuff.Then you get older and realize there's innovation here, and you grow up as the genre grows, and then you go to college and put away your childhood toys, including your Kiss records.
But after a certain point, you join with friends and you know, we are all important for this thing, and everyone who is, then we are disloyal not to talk.I think we belong to that CUSP generation, the green river people, and Alece in other families.
I've said this to Chris and Hiro many times: we don't have to bend for the audience or the market, we bend the market for ourselves.And I think we've achieved that over many years.Of course, there are compromises along the way where you have to accept a market that is inflexible and institutionalized in some ways, and obviously there are things that help open those doors and have helped us bend the market, like the success of Nirvana and Pearl Jam.But the job definitely helped the manager, with labels and artists who were in the same positions, we had to redefine things.
It was so weird in your music that it's Madison Calk Barding's phase, over Europe, Europe's opening phase, Buug's opening phase.
We just thought, "We can headline shows by ourselves and maybe never get to play Kansas, Oklahoma, or Nebraska, or we can play with Guns N' Roses and hit all these markets, and we're nobody that we're not, and we can pick up people who might not have heard of it."
It worked, and it worked because Duff [McGagan, bassist for Guns N’ Roses] was from Seattle.He played with a band called Ten Minute Warning, which did similar things to what Green River, Soundgarden, and the Melvins did: they were born out of a couple of punk bands and also used these metal elements.But then Duff and [drummer] Greg Gilmore (who later became a member of Mother Love Bone and a friend of ours) came to L.A., and Duff ended up joining Guns N' Roses.Punk rock is a big part of Guns N' Roses, as is classic rock and arena rock.
Were you in love with your friend before he moved to LA?
But who was he?Hiro and I from the Chicago area in 81, we were 20 and 21 respectively, go to the show and see Duff with Fartz or Fastbacks.And when Guns N' Roses came out, it was like, "Hey, that guy" - we played a place with Soundgarden, Guerrilla Gardens Rock Theater.We knew a lot of people because I saw them at shows with 100 or 150 people or less, so I knew everyone who was at Surfers Flag or Butthole.It was the smallest scene in Seattle.
Still didn't answer the first question: How do you feel?Is there something like a sign or ...?
I think there is a sense of the credibility of the affirmation that we can share recognition with our peers and colleagues.The fact that we're recognized by an institution that also recognizes Pearl Jam and Nirvana and the Stooges, I think that's a big deal.And I hope that other groups like Sonic youth and Pixies and peicies and prodies and proidenead and iron and manners in the chain will be recognized.A community of peers and colleagues - that's what it's all about.It leads to positive recognition.
Is there anything you would like to laugh in in this performance?We've already seen photos of you practicing with Pearl Jam and Taylor Mukotom.
One thing is for sure: I will try to play the guitar again.And I think we all know that that essence is the love we have for each other and the love we all shared for Chris.
So what we do is gonyming the way, and respecting Chris and his love for us and he has no secret of the way.
