Kim Thayil's Memoir Offers Rare Glimpse into Soundgarden's Rise to Fame
Soundgarden guitarist Kim Thayil is set to release his autobiography, "A Screaming Life: Into the Superunknown with Soundgarden and Beyond", next year via HarperCollins. In the book, co-written with Adem Tepedelen, Thayil will recount his life as a son of immigrants and rock pioneer, delving into the band's early days in Seattle, their rise to fame, and the cultural landscape of grunge.
Born in Chicago, Thayil recounts his journey to Seattle, where he met fellow musicians Chris Cornell and Hiro Yamamoto. The trio founded Soundgarden, with Yamamoto's Japanese heritage adding a unique dimension to the band's identity. As idealistic youths exploring Seattle's underground music scene, they formed a brotherhood that would shape their music and experiences in the industry.
Thayil's memoir will also explore how his Indian heritage influenced his life and career, including his relationship with Yamamoto, who was another immigrant American son. The book will delve into the highs and lows of Soundgarden's journey, from their early days as an underground band to their eventual rise to international fame.
"A Screaming Life" arrives on May 19, 2026, just ahead of Soundgarden's induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Thayil will share his experiences, journeys, and growth with the band and the Seattle music scene, offering a rare glimpse into one of the most influential bands in rock history.
In anticipation of the book's release, fans can pre-order "A Screaming Life" now. The memoir promises to be an intimate and introspective look at Soundgarden's story, with Thayil sharing his insights on the band's music, experiences, and the cultural context that shaped their sound.
Soundgarden guitarist Kim Thayil is set to release his autobiography, "A Screaming Life: Into the Superunknown with Soundgarden and Beyond", next year via HarperCollins. In the book, co-written with Adem Tepedelen, Thayil will recount his life as a son of immigrants and rock pioneer, delving into the band's early days in Seattle, their rise to fame, and the cultural landscape of grunge.
Born in Chicago, Thayil recounts his journey to Seattle, where he met fellow musicians Chris Cornell and Hiro Yamamoto. The trio founded Soundgarden, with Yamamoto's Japanese heritage adding a unique dimension to the band's identity. As idealistic youths exploring Seattle's underground music scene, they formed a brotherhood that would shape their music and experiences in the industry.
Thayil's memoir will also explore how his Indian heritage influenced his life and career, including his relationship with Yamamoto, who was another immigrant American son. The book will delve into the highs and lows of Soundgarden's journey, from their early days as an underground band to their eventual rise to international fame.
"A Screaming Life" arrives on May 19, 2026, just ahead of Soundgarden's induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Thayil will share his experiences, journeys, and growth with the band and the Seattle music scene, offering a rare glimpse into one of the most influential bands in rock history.
In anticipation of the book's release, fans can pre-order "A Screaming Life" now. The memoir promises to be an intimate and introspective look at Soundgarden's story, with Thayil sharing his insights on the band's music, experiences, and the cultural context that shaped their sound.
I'm super stoked about Kim Thayil's upcoming memoir! As a huge fan of Soundgarden, it's gonna be awesome to read about their journey from underground band to grunge legends. I mean, who doesn't want to dive into the story behind some of Chris Cornell's most iconic vocals? 
The fact that Thayil is sharing his experiences with his Indian heritage and relationship with Hiro Yamamoto adds a fascinating layer to the book. It'll be interesting to see how the band's cultural identity shaped their music and, you know, basically everything they did. Plus, getting a glimpse into Seattle's underground music scene back in the day will be like, totally immersive! May 19 can't come soon enough! 
I'm really stoked for Kim Thayil's upcoming memoir 
, it's gonna be super interesting to get a glimpse into Soundgarden's rise to fame 
. As someone who grew up in the 90s, I have so many fond memories of their music 
. I'm curious to see how he'll share his experiences as an immigrant son and how that shaped his relationship with Hiro Yamamoto 
. The fact that we'll get to read about the highs and lows of Soundgarden's journey is gonna be really inspiring 
. Can't wait for May 19, 2026! 
I'm super stoked to hear that Kim Thayil is writing a memoir about Soundgarden! It'll be awesome to read about how they went from being an underground band to international rock stars 
. I've always been fascinated by the Seattle music scene and how it influenced grunge, so this book will definitely give me some new insights 
. Thayil's experiences as a son of immigrants will probably add some interesting perspectives to the story too 
. Like, can we move on from the 90s already? I mean, Soundgarden was iconic, don't get me wrong, but let's not forget about the other awesome genres that came out around the same time... like trip hop and electronica 
. Kim Thayil's memoir is gonna be a total page-turner, I'm sure, but it's just another example of how we're stuck in this musical past 
.
! As someone who grew up listening to Soundgarden, I'm curious to see what he'll reveal about those early days in Seattle and how the band's identity was shaped by their cultural backgrounds. The part about Hiro Yamamoto's Japanese heritage adding a unique dimension to the band's sound is definitely gonna be interesting - never thought about that before 
!
. And Hiro Yamamoto's story is just so inspiring too! I love how he's goin to share all these personal experiences and insights about their journey and growth as musicians 
. May 19th, 2026, cant wait!!
I'm low-key hyped for Kim Thayil's memoir 
"A Screaming Life" can't come soon enough 
. also, what does this book mean for our understanding of the grunge movement and its place in music history? was it just a genre-defining phenomenon or did it represent something more nuanced? 