Brandi Carlile Wants To Be Soundgarden's New Lead Singer

Brandi Carlile released her new album In These Silent Days today, and she told us the story behind every track. In another interview promoting the album, she volunteered to be Soundgarden’s next lead singer, taking over for Chris Cornell, who died in 2017.

Some context: Carlile, a Seattle-area native, has long been closely tied to the city’s grunge veterans. She has collaborated with Eddie Vedder, Cornell’s friend and Temple Of The Dog bandmate, several times over the years, most recently singing “Better Man” with Pearl Jam at Vedder’s Ohana Festival. More to the point, she recently covered Soundgarden’s signature hit “Black Hole Sun” with Guns N’ Roses and has twice performed with the surviving members of Soundgarden, most recently at her own Gorge gig back in August.

Now, in an interview with the Rolling Stone Music Now podcast, Carlile says she wants to make it official between herself and Soundgarden. Carlile says 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 added that she and her bandmates the Hanseroth twins “are inextricably linked to Soundgarden for life. They were our heroes.”