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Brandi Carlile wants to be the new lead singer of Soundgarden. While that statement might seem absurd, it actually makes a lot of sense. The singer-songwriter was part of the Chris Cornell tribute concert I Am The Highway. She then released a 7" for Record Store Day called A Rooster Say where she covered Soundgarden's “Black Hole Sun” and “Searching With My Good Eye Closed,” which she recorded with the band's surviving members, and most recently brought out guitarist Kim Thayil, drummer Matt Cameron and bassist Ben Shepherd to perform both songs with her during a gig at The Gorge in Washington.
Though she just released a new album called In These Silent Days, the conversation turned to Soundgarden during an interview with the Rolling Stone Music Now podcast. Carlile said she “would make the time” to tour with the band.
“I am such a Chris Cornell fan. I loved him so much. I was so devastated when he left us,” she said before adding that she and her bandmates the Hanseroth twins “are inextricably linked to Soundgarden for life. They were our heroes.”
Soundgarden isn't the only Seattle-based rock band Carlile has collaborated with. Last weekend, she joined Pearl Jam onstage to perform "Better Man" and back in 2019 surprised local fans with a street performance at Pike Place Market that also featured Dave Grohl.