SOUNDGARDEN Has 'Rough Demos Of A Dozen Or So Songs' For Next Studio Album, Says KIM THAYIL

SOUNDGARDEN guitarist Kim Thayil says that the band has "rough demos of a dozen or so songs" for the follow-up to 2012's comeback album, "King Animal". The group started work on a new record last year, but took a break while frontman Chris Cornell toured last fall and earlier this year in support of his latest solo effort, "Higher Truth".

Speaking to "Whiplash", the KLOS radio show hosted by Full Metal Jackie, Thayil said about the progress of the songwriting sessions for the next SOUNDGARDEN record (hear audio below): "Right now, there are some other projects that are taking up bandmembers' time. Matt's [Cameron, drums] got some PEARL JAM touring and projects. Matt and Chris [Cornell, vocals] together, of course, are working on this TEMPLE OF THE DOG [reunion] thing.

"Over the past year, we've had a number of songwriting and jam sessions, SOUNDGARDEN, getting together to simply exchange ideas and document and record them. So we have some rough demos of a dozen or so songs. We'll continue to do this as everyone's schedule lightens up and opens up. And hopefully by next year we'll find ourselves in the studio fleshing out these ideas."

Thayil also talked about how SOUNDGARDEN's creative process for making a new album has changed from when the band first achieved success. "The most exciting thing was having the new material be as fresh, and to add to the new material with the individual musical experiences we've acquired over the past decade or so," he said. "That kept everything with the same songwriting and personnel dynamic, that's augmented that personal dynamic with these new ideas and new music and new experiences that we've acquired over the past decade or so."

He continued: "With any relationship — with family or loved ones or boyfriend and girlfriend — sometimes after a period of time, you grow apart; you grow apart when you're together, you grow apart when you're away. But after this long period of time, we're still sort of where we're at with each other, and that's been a very positive thing. Probably because over those years when the band was not together, we were all still in touch and all still sharing similar social circles and the same friends, so we were always constantly doing things together and running into each other. It was just a matter of getting the four of us all on the same page and willing to put our nose to the grindstone and do the work that was required to keep the SOUNDGARDEN machine going the way it was when we split in the late '90s. I think the added maturity and growth is probably a bonus as well."

SOUNDGARDEN reunited in 2010 after a 13-year layoff, touring and then eventually writing new material that became the basis for "King Animal", its first new studio album in 16 years.

In addition to "King Animal", SOUNDGARDEN has issued a live CD, a greatest hits compilation and a two-disc collection of B-sides, outtakes and rarities.

"Whiplash" airs every Monday night from 10:00 p.m. to 12:00 a.m. on the Los Angeles radio station 95.5 KLOS. The show can be heard on the KLOS web site at 955klos.com or you can listen in on the KLOS channel on iHeartRadio. Full Metal Jackie also hosts a nationally syndicated radio program, which can be heard all over the country.

To see a full list of stations carrying Full Metal Jackie's show and when it airs, go to FullMetalJackieRadio.com.