Soundgarden’s Kim Thayil to Release Memoir ‘A Screaming Life’ in May 2026
As fans, we look at artist’s lives through how we receive them through speaker, but it’s always more interesting to hear about an artist or musician straight from the damn source. That’s what founding Soundgarden guitarist Kim Thayil is gonna allow us to do, thanks to his upcoming memoir A Screaming Life: Into The Superunknown With Soundgarden And Beyond.
The memoir, set to release on May 19, 2026 via HarperCollins imprint William Morrow, will detail how Thayil came to join his bandmates Hiro Yamamoto, Ben Shepherd, Matt Cameron and the late Chris Cornell, and how they made it through all the bullshit that comes with trying to be a band that makes it. Soundgarden was obviously made it to the top in many ways, but that doesn’t mean it didn’t take an arm, a leg, and a whole lot of tears to get there. Something else discussed in the book includes how Thayil’s Indian background, along with bassist Yamamoto’s Japanese heritage, contributed to not only the band’s identity, but to their music and experiences in the industry as well.
Thayil announced the book earlier today (Tuesday, October 28):
“Hey, all you friends of Soundgarden! Kim Thayil here to tell you that I’ve been working on a book during the past few years! It’s called ‘A Screaming Life’, and it tells my story as an American son of immigrants growing up in Chicago. Then, along with another immigrant’s American son, Hiro Yamamoto, we travel to Seattle as idealistic youths, involve ourselves with underground and independent subcultures, and connect with Chris Cornell to form Soundgarden. It follows my experiences, journeys and growth with the band and the building of the Seattle music scene; ultimately, to partner with Matt Cameron and later Ben Shepherd as we worked and played towards our worldwide successes. I explore the heights, depths and insights gained from my experiences within the unique and special brotherhood we built.”
If you can’t wait to get your taste of a lil Soundgarden history in literary form, then keep an eye out for their Rock and Roll Hall of Fame class of 2025 induction speeches.
