Chris Cornell Interview by My Yearbook

Unstoppable: It’s the first word that comes to mind whenever I hear the name Chris Cornell. From Soundgarden to Audioslave, from Euphoria Morning to Casino Royale, few would deny the legend props for the last two decades of his unmatchable craftsmanship. But when word got out that Cornell would be joining forces with super-producer Timbaland for a new album, doubt was raised: Could he pull this off? Without question, Chris Cornell has succeeded in reinventing his sound yet again, while maintaining that je ne sais quoi that we can all can attest is undeniably his own.

MyMag spoke with Chris Cornell about his third solo album, Scream:

What was going on in your life that inspired Scream?
Lyrically, it ends up being a collection of little stories that are in my mind, kind of created by the character that lives in the song. It’s hard for me to know where that is, in terms of how much of it includes my life, how much of it includes where I’m at in the moment, and how much of it is this creativity of coming up with the story and the dialogue of the character. I usually know later, it ends up taking a couple years for me. Looking back on it, I’ll see more clearly where the autobiographical parts have been and the certain moments that were happening at the time fit in.

That seems to compliment your description of Scream as a “movie soundtrack”…
That’s the way it felt. It’s musically so different from anything else I’ve ever worked on or written to. It was evoking images and characters that were different than anything I’ve ever come up with before. Because of that I started to feel this theme happening to a degree. In other words, the characters stopped being like ten different characters and started being more like one or two.

Did you know going into this that you would be working with Timbaland?
No, really, I wasn’t even thinking about what I would do in terms of my next album. I was out on the road with a Carry On tour and actually was looking for a remixer to do some songs from Carry On. That’s what led me to having a conversation with Timbaland, which led to deciding to make an album. I then cancelled my next tour, and went into the studio and started recording. It was something that happened abruptly.

Timbaland has described your sessions as some of the best work he’s ever done. What was the experience like for you?
It was really great. At the very first moment of starting, it was obviously not going to be like anything I’ve ever done. When he brought in the first beat idea, which was the song “Long Gone,” I started playing it and I could tell right away that he understood who I was and how he was going to be able to take what he does and bring it to me, and I was going to be able to do something creatively over it that would make sense and that would work. That was the only question there was hanging in the air, “Is that going to be possible?”

Once I heard the first couple bars of that song, I knew that it was going to be possible. From that point on, it was a super focused process of songwriting and recording that didn’t end. There were no days off, we worked all night long. The initial songwriting and recording period was only six weeks, but the album process itself was six months because it took another turn. We got along so well creatively that it led to what became the hour of continuous music, where all of this music was written and orchestrated to tie all the songs together and make it kind of a one idea album--a movie soundtrack as opposed to just a collection of songs thrown on a disc.

Do you think you’ll work with Timbaland again?
I would definitely do something with him again. I don’t think I would turn around and go make another album with him right now. Mainly because I don’t think it would beat what we just did. What we just did is a very primal and raw reaction to each other when you’re working with someone who you’ve never worked with before that yielded something really special. I wouldn’t want to be disappointed. (Laughs)

You mentioned Carry On earlier. Right around that time you were in a bad motorcycle accident; did that experience change your perspective as a musician or on your life?
Oddly, it didn’t seem to change anything. I’m not sure why. I’m just kind of that way. As soon as I knew I was OK, I was on the phone with my wife just begging her to not make me go to the hospital to take X-rays because I wanted to go back into the studio. I was on my way to the studio at the time, and I was just saying, “No, I’m fine. Don’t make me go to the hospital, just let me go work.” That’s just how I am. It didn’t make me question anything; it didn’t make me feel anything. It made me consider how careful you obviously have to be when you’re riding a motorcycle because there was nobody in the street besides me and the one other vehicle, which just turned in front of me abruptly. It made me realize, more so even, that you have to pretend you’re invisible when you’re riding a motorcycle.

Now you’ve also said that Scream is one of the most ambitious things you’ve been a part of, what’s the most ambitious thing that you’ve been a part of that’s not music related?
I don’t know that I can really disconnect anything in my life to that. It terms of ambitious, I suppose I meant artistically. In the world of ambitions and music and life, for me, it’s always really hard to tell what those lines are.

You’ve had a 14-album career, with multiple collaborations with different artists. You’re a multi-Grammy award-winning musician and you’re regarded as a rock icon. Do those awards and titles have meaning to you, or do you get satisfaction elsewhere?
I think that performing the songs, writing the albums, writing and recording, the continual process is where the satisfaction comes from. That never really goes away. It doesn’t get easier. The hole that needs to be filled for someone like me; you don’t ever really fill it up and then ride on it.

I always have to be looking forward to the next performance, and looking forward to the next song that I’m writing. As long as that is there, as long as I have both of those things somewhere in focus, that’s kind of what I’m thinking about. I’ve never been somebody that looks back much. That hasn’t always been a positive thing. The periods of my career, the number one albums and things like that, I didn’t really ever stop to celebrate that stuff. When I’ve won Grammy’s, I didn’t throw a big party for my band or myself. You know, none of us did to celebrate. I was already thinking about the next thing. There are positives and negatives to that. I think it’s a sad thing when someone doesn’t really stop and celebrate accomplishments and achievements, but I’ve just never wanted to get stuck in like the tar pit of celebrating past achievements. It’s like; I’ve got other stuff to do.

Maybe, I’m afraid that if I stop for ten seconds that I won’t ever get started again. There are people out there that sort of stand as an example of as to why someone like me should be afraid of that. There are people who do suddenly stop; it seems like, in the middle of time. Where people who are artists, whose life seems to be forwardly mobile and then all of a sudden five years, ten years have gone by and they didn’t move an inch. I would much rather deal with my career the way that I do and deal with the slings and arrows of trying things in a different way than be stuck in one position and be sort of helpless or impotent to change that.

Vocally you sound more soulful these days. Obviously, you’ve experimented and changed your sound over the years, but what would you attribute that to on this record?
I think it’s just me exercising influences that I’ve always had. I can also draw lines from a lot of these songs to other solo work I’ve done, or actually some songs I’ve even done with Audioslave where that side of me comes out. Obviously working with these beats and these songs, it just comes out a lot more because there’s more of a soul and R&B flavor to them.

Do you have a favorite song on Scream?
I love the songs “Time” and “Ground Zero.” Also, one of my favorites is “Get Up.” It’s one of my favorites because it’s just so weird to me. The combination of what’s going on there is just so unlikely because it’s probably the most dance oriented song on the album. I’m not someone that really ever listened to dance music. At the same time, the lyrics and the vocal approach reminds me of The Doors, which is a weird combination. There was a moment there where I added some more guitar to it because I thought, “Why not bring it more in the direction of this kind of Doors’ atmosphere?” And it didn’t work. Trying to steer into that influence, took away the power that the song had. There’s some weird contrast between the worlds that live in that song. It’s really interesting to me.

Is there any question that you’ve always wanted to be asked in an interview but never have been? If so, what’s your answer?
You know, I’ve actually been asked that question before. More than most people, when you do this kind of thing for a living, you pretty much get asked more questions than any normal person would. (Laughs) I’ve never thought, “Oh, someone’s leaving something out.” I’ve never felt like everyone is missing the point, and I really want to make this statement. I’ve never felt that way. I think that’s a good thing.



	chris cornell on scream the rock icon talks timbaland, near death experiences, and braving the slings and arrows of time by kate heath, myyearbook.com, april 2008
	Unstoppable: It’s the first word that comes to mind whenever I hear the name Chris Cornell. From Soundgarden to Audioslave, from Euphoria Morning to Casino Royale, few would deny the legend props for the last two decades of his unmatchable craftsmanship. But when word got out that Cornell would be joining forces with super-producer Timbaland for a new album, doubt was raised: Could he pull this off? Without question, Chris Cornell has succeeded in reinventing his sound yet again, while maintaining that je ne sais quoi that we can all can attest is undeniably his own. MyMag spoke with Chris Cornell about his third solo album, Scream: *What was going on in your life that inspired Scream?* Lyrically, it ends up being a collection of little stories that are in my mind, kind of created by the character that lives in the song. It’s hard for me to know where that is, in terms of how much of it includes my life, how much of it includes where I’m at in the moment, and how much of it is this creativity of coming up with the story and the dialogue of the character. I usually know later, it ends up taking a couple years for me. Looking back on it, I’ll see more clearly where the autobiographical parts have been and the certain moments that were happening at the time fit in. *That seems to compliment your description of Scream* as a “movie soundtrack”… That’s the way it felt. It’s musically so different from anything else I’ve ever worked on or written to. It was evoking images and characters that were different than anything I’ve ever come up with before. Because of that I started to feel this theme happening to a degree. In other words, the characters stopped being like ten different characters and started being more like one or two. Did you know going into this that you would be working with Timbaland?** No, really, I wasn’t even thinking about what I would do in terms of my next album. I was out on the road with a Carry On tour and actually was looking for a remixer to do some songs from Carry On. That’s what led me to having a conversation with Timbaland, which led to deciding to make an album. I then cancelled my next tour, and went into the studio and started recording. It was something that happened abruptly. Timbaland has described your sessions as some of the best work he’s ever done. What was the experience like for you? It was really great. At the very first moment of starting, it was obviously not going to be like anything I’ve ever done. When he brought in the first beat idea, which was the song “Long Gone,” I started playing it and I could tell right away that he understood who I was and how he was going to be able to take what he does and bring it to me, and I was going to be able to do something creatively over it that would make sense and that would work. That was the only question there was hanging in the air, “Is that going to be possible?” Once I heard the first couple bars of that song, I knew that it was going to be possible. From that point on, it was a super focused process of songwriting and recording that didn’t end. There were no days off, we worked all night long. The initial songwriting and recording period was only six weeks, but the album process itself was six months because it took another turn. We got along so well creatively that it led to what became the hour of continuous music, where all of this music was written and orchestrated to tie all the songs together and make it kind of a one idea album--a movie soundtrack as opposed to just a collection of songs thrown on a disc. Do you think you’ll work with Timbaland again? I would definitely do something with him again. I don’t think I would turn around and go make another album with him right now. Mainly because I don’t think it would beat what we just did. What we just did is a very primal and raw reaction to each other when you’re working with someone who you’ve never worked with before that yielded something really special. I wouldn’t want to be disappointed. (Laughs) *You mentioned Carry On* earlier. Right around that time you were in a bad motorcycle accident; did that experience change your perspective as a musician or on your life?** Oddly, it didn’t seem to change anything. I’m not sure why. I’m just kind of that way. As soon as I knew I was OK, I was on the phone with my wife just begging her to not make me go to the hospital to take X-rays because I wanted to go back into the studio. I was on my way to the studio at the time, and I was just saying, “No, I’m fine. Don’t make me go to the hospital, just let me go work.” That’s just how I am. It didn’t make me question anything; it didn’t make me feel anything. It made me consider how careful you obviously have to be when you’re riding a motorcycle because there was nobody in the street besides me and the one other vehicle, which just turned in front of me abruptly. It made me realize, more so even, that you have to pretend you’re invisible when you’re riding a motorcycle. Now you’ve also said that Scream is one of the most ambitious things you’ve been a part of, what’s the most ambitious thing that you’ve been a part of that’s not music related? I don’t know that I can really disconnect anything in my life to that. It terms of ambitious, I suppose I meant artistically. In the world of ambitions and music and life, for me, it’s always really hard to tell what those lines are. You’ve had a 14-album career, with multiple collaborations with different artists. You’re a multi-Grammy award-winning musician and you’re regarded as a rock icon. Do those awards and titles have meaning to you, or do you get satisfaction elsewhere? I think that performing the songs, writing the albums, writing and recording, the continual process is where the satisfaction comes from. That never really goes away. It doesn’t get easier. The hole that needs to be filled for someone like me; you don’t ever really fill it up and then ride on it. I always have to be looking forward to the next performance, and looking forward to the next song that I’m writing. As long as that is there, as long as I have both of those things somewhere in focus, that’s kind of what I’m thinking about. I’ve never been somebody that looks back much. That hasn’t always been a positive thing. The periods of my career, the number one albums and things like that, I didn’t really ever stop to celebrate that stuff. When I’ve won Grammy’s, I didn’t throw a big party for my band or myself. You know, none of us did to celebrate. I was already thinking about the next thing. There are positives and negatives to that. I think it’s a sad thing when someone doesn’t really stop and celebrate accomplishments and achievements, but I’ve just never wanted to get stuck in like the tar pit of celebrating past achievements. It’s like; I’ve got other stuff to do. Maybe, I’m afraid that if I stop for ten seconds that I won’t ever get started again. There are people out there that sort of stand as an example of as to why someone like me should be afraid of that. There are people who do suddenly stop; it seems like, in the middle of time. Where people who are artists, whose life seems to be forwardly mobile and then all of a sudden five years, ten years have gone by and they didn’t move an inch. I would much rather deal with my career the way that I do and deal with the slings and arrows of trying things in a different way than be stuck in one position and be sort of helpless or impotent to change that. Vocally you sound more soulful these days. Obviously, you’ve experimented and changed your sound over the years, but what would you attribute that to on this record? I think it’s just me exercising influences that I’ve always had. I can also draw lines from a lot of these songs to other solo work I’ve done, or actually some songs I’ve even done with Audioslave where that side of me comes out. Obviously working with these beats and these songs, it just comes out a lot more because there’s more of a soul and R&B flavor to them. *Do you have a favorite song on Scream?* I love the songs “Time” and “Ground Zero.” Also, one of my favorites is “Get Up.” It’s one of my favorites because it’s just so weird to me. The combination of what’s going on there is just so unlikely because it’s probably the most dance oriented song on the album. I’m not someone that really ever listened to dance music. At the same time, the lyrics and the vocal approach reminds me of The Doors, which is a weird combination. There was a moment there where I added some more guitar to it because I thought, “Why not bring it more in the direction of this kind of Doors’ atmosphere?” And it didn’t work. Trying to steer into that influence, took away the power that the song had. There’s some weird contrast between the worlds that live in that song. It’s really interesting to me. Is there any question that you’ve always wanted to be asked in an interview but never have been? If so, what’s your answer? You know, I’ve actually been asked that question before. More than most people, when you do this kind of thing for a living, you pretty much get asked more questions than any normal person would. (Laughs) I’ve never thought, “Oh, someone’s leaving something out.” I’ve never felt like everyone is missing the point, and I really want to make this statement. I’ve never felt that way. I think that’s a good thing. originally available as an online feature here
	Chris Cornell Fan Page © Clare O'Brien 2009

by kate heath, myyearbook.com, april 2008