The passing of late Soundgarden frontman Chris Cornell has apparently affected Pearl Jam’s new album, the band have revealed.
Following the tragic and untimely death of Chris Cornell back in May of 2017, friends, family, and fans of the iconic musician were understandably shocked.
In the following weeks and months, plenty other artists began to pay tribute to the late musician, including grunge contemporaries Pearl Jam, whose members had worked with Cornell frequently in the past, most notably as part of Temple Of The Dog.
Each time, frontman Eddie Vedder discussed the impact that Chris Cornell had on them and their music, with Vedder dedicating a recent performance of ‘Long Road’ to Nelson Mandela and “my brother Chris”.
However, it seems that Cornell’s passing has had a greater effect on the band than we could have expected.
In a recent interview with Rolling Stone, Pearl Jam bassist Jeff Ament explained that Chris Cornell’s death slowed down progress of the band’s time in the studio.
“It’d be fun to record or even just write a song together,” Ament explained. “I think when Chris [Cornell] passed, that’s really been a tough one to wrap our heads around, and then there’s just life stuff.”
Ament also explained that he was asked by Vicky Cornell to serve as the creative director for a recent Chris Cornell box set, admitting that he found the process difficult due to the memories it brought up.
“It was pretty hard to go down that path, creating that stuff and listening to the music,” he explained. “It’s just another reminder that he’s not here, and that just sucks. It really sucks.”
Check out Temple Of The Dog’s ‘Hunger Strike’:
Early in 2018, Pearl Jam released ‘Can’t Deny Me’, their first new song in five years, and the first taste of their upcoming album. While Jeff Ament admitted they’re hoping to release the album in 2019, his latest interview saw him explain the band are about halfway done with the recording process.
“We’re going to make a record, and we’re in the middle of it,” Ament explained. “We’re just going to keep plugging away until we get one done.”
“We’ve gone in, probably, four or five times in the last couple of years, so we have a whole ton of unfinished stuff,” he continued. “We’re just sort of in a little bit of limbo. I’m sure everybody’s got a bunch more riffs, and I’m sure Ed’s got a handful of journal lyrics.”
“It’s just going to take us all getting into a room together for six weeks and just knocking something out.”
Check out Pearl Jam’s ‘Can’t Deny Me’:
