This page collects some of Chris Cornell's best interviews from 2012. For older ones, see the links at the bottom of the page.

“When I think of Soundgarden, I think of a sound, I think of one entity, one organic thing,” says singer and guitarist Chris Cornell, “but I guess that the exciting part is that it’s always been really varied.”

Read more of what Chris said about his latest work with Soundgarden in the official King Animal biography (scroll to right panel) or watch the band talk about each song here

INTERVIEWS

December 2012

A great group interview recorded before Soundgarden's Letterman performance in New York recently. Chris talks the making of 'A Thousand Days Before', explains why no-one in the band wanted to "feed the nostalgia machine" and shares a story about taming a scary dog with barbecue ribs.

Here's something a bit different - a great "lost" interview. In 2009 Chris spoke to Imran Siddiqui of VOA News, which broadcasts to Asia, for an in-depth feature - but a techie disaster at the station meant the recording was lost and it's only now been salvaged and assembled. Very unusual questions, very much worth a look.

November 2012

"Hallelujah! We finally did it right." Soundgarden talk to Mikael Wood of the Los Angeles Times about the sonics of King Animal.

"My personality was always wanting to move ahead and look forward—not denying the past, but not being particularly interested in repeating it." Chris talks to Artist Direct about the making of King Animal and how it was influenced more by geography than by history.

In this MTV podcast, Soundgarden talk to veteran interviewer Matt Pinfield about King Animal and more.

"This belongs to whoever stands up and takes it". Chris talks to Extra (below)about the making of King Animal.

"I was probably 17 when I knew that's what I was going to do with the rest of my life, no matter what that meant...in spite of my lack of education, I didn't lack direction." Chris talks in-depth to NPR about why he's a musician, and what Soundgarden means today.

"Our audience that we're writing for is each other, which is partly why we've often shut producers out of the picture, why we've never used an A&R person, ever." Chris on the way Soundgarden write, talking to MTV's James Montgomery.

In the European 3sat interview below, Ben and Kim express their relief about the result of the US presidential election:

"Being able to write and record – that's a privilege. I don't forget the long days I spent working in a restaurant, when I wanted to be done so I could go home and work on a song." Chris talks to Rolling Stone about why he wanted to be part of Soundgarden again.

"As a parent, you feel responsibility to protect children from things that will be difficult for them, but you can’t." As well as music, Chris talks about growing uop, parenthood and recovery from alcoholism to the UK's Daily Mirror.

"Either side has the option to do it, or we walk away if it's not working out." In Billboard, Chris explains that Soundgarden's deal gives them the option to do a follow-up to King Animal should they decide they want to.

October 2012

While on promo tour in Europe, Chris & Ben temper the usual answers to the usual questions with humour - and wisdom: "We can always be Soundgarden. When the time is right and we want to write new songs we will, when we want to go play shows we will."

If you read Italian, here's a hard-hitting interview with Il Giornale - click on the new band photo to see a bigger version.

September 2012

"It's something that it will take time for people to kind of digest, and it's not something that I could describe to you right now or that you will understand based on listening to the first single." Chris explains to Spin why King Animal might take time for people to get into.

"That line sort of flashed across as I was just kind of listening to what I call brain radio..." Chris talks about the writing of 'Been Away Too Long' to Live105 in the US. Download the interview here or read a partial transcript here.

In an exclusive radio interview, Chris talks to Mary Anne Hobbs of xfm about Soundgarden's new single 'Been Away Too Long' and compares it to "the door of the house" - the house being forthcoming album King Animal. Download the podcast here.

June 2012

“We stand alone outside of genres. We’re not like anybody else. We can’t be imitated.” Chris talks about Soundgrden, rock music and Adele to top British tabloid The Sun.

May 2012

"I went through a lot of different ideas that I scrapped – probably more than usual". Chris talks to Rolling Stone about the writing of 'Live To Rise'.

"It's a privilege to be able to travel the world and play music you wrote for people. Millions of people write songs no one will hear." Chris talks to the Hollywood Reporter about touring, the new Soundgarden album, and Avengers movie song 'Live To Rise'.

April 2012

"We're going in new directions we never did before." Chris talks in-depth about Soundgarden to XFM's Mary Anne Hobbs: download the podcast here.

Chris talks to Zane Lowe of BBC Radio 1 as he premieres 'Live To Rise' - you can listen here for a limited time.

"None of them were really right, which happens sometimes, so we thought, let’s do another one. That’s the beauty of it.” Chris talks to KROQ's Kevin & Bean about Soundgarden's 'Live To Rise': listen here.

March 2012

"Someone who’s already popular wouldn’t become a rock star... the off-in-a-corner part, where nobody’s paying attention to you, is crucial." Chris talks sex, drugs and rock & roll to to Details magazine.

February 2012

Australian journalist Dave Gleeson interviews Chris in depth for Triple M - and Chris confirms that the new Soundgarden album will be out in the autumn. You can download the full, uncut version of this interview as an mp3 here.

January 2012

MTV Australia interview - sadly, not available in the rest of the world due to the usual daft copyright restrictions.

"Playing the Sydney Opera House was definitely a huge, huge moment in my life, everything about it is amazing ... just walking to the dressing room is great." Chris reminisces about some of his favourite venues in this interview with Melbourne's The Age.

Here's a link to the video archive at The New York Times where you can watch a fascinating in-depth, on-camera interview conducted by the paper's music critic Jon Pareles, with questions from the floor to finish.

Here's an interesting audio interview recorded backstage last year at the Brown Theatre in Louisville for The Weekly Feed.

"There's absolutely nothing nostalgic about this..." In advance of their first Australian tour for 15 years, Soundgarden get the cover of Rolling Stone's Australian edition. All four members talk about how the band got back together and give some insights into the making of the new album, due for release later this year. Scans: page 1 page 2 page 3 page 4 page 5 page 6

"With a film, you're collaborating with the director and the story and the film itself.It has its own life, and in a sense its own will. Your music is a character in the play." In a revealing interview, Reuters talk to Chris about the writing of 'The Keeper' as part of a series on songs up for consideration for an Oscar this year.

For older interviews:

2011 go here

2010 go here

2009 go here

2008 go here

2007 and 2006 go here