In a recent interview with Music Radar, Soundgarden’s Kim Thayil addressed the possibility of finishing some of the band’s music that they had been working on before Chris Cornell’s tragic death in 2017. Prior to Cornell’s suicide, the band had been working on their seventh album, recording various demos of tracks they had hoped to eventually finish. This was all put on hold, however, with Cornell’s passing and the group still has yet to complete the unfinished album. In his interview, Thayil stated that using the demos to attempt to finish some of Cornell’s final songs is one of the projects the band hopes to eventually complete.

This is not as easy a task as it seems, however, as the band is not currently in possession of the original demos. In the interview, Thayil stated that the band currently has recordings of the demos, but not access to the files themselves. Without the original files, completing Cornell’s demos is an impossible task. When asked about acquiring the demos, Thayil said that the group has been trying to obtain the files for some time, but those in charge of them have not budged. Thayil does not explicitly state who has the demos currently, but it is assumed they are the property of the Cornell estate, as Chris Cornell had been recording the demos at home prior to his death instead of in the studio. For now, the band is not sure when or if they will be able to obtain the demos and finish the album.

Since Cornell’s passing, Soundgarden has been focused on preserving his legacy and putting out new material as they can. Earlier this year, the group announced their concert album, titled Soundgarden: Live From The Artists Den, which was released last month. The group is also embarked on a tour in support of the live album, with the shows being screenings and viewings of the Soundgarden documentary that corresponds with the new live album. The tour and film in general provide an opportunity for fans to celebrate the life of Cornell with others who loved his music. Until the band is able to recover the demos of Cornell’s final tracks, the live album is a great way for fans to still hear more music from the group.

Photo Credits: Raymond Flotat