Soundgarden’s Kim Thayil will chronicle his life as a son of immigrants and rock pioneer in his new book, A Screaming Life: Into the Superunknown with Soundgarden and Beyond, set to arrive next year via HarperCollins.
In the book — co-written with Adem Tepedelen — Thayil will dig into his childhood in Chicago, his move to Seattle, the founding of Soundgarden with Chris Cornell and Hiro Yamamoto, the rise of grunge, and more. In a post on Soundgarden’s Instagram, Thayil said the book “follows my experiences, journeys, and growth with the band and the building of the Seattle music scene,” and explores “the heights, depths, and insights gained from my experiences with the unique and special brotherhood.”
Also key to the book will be how growing up in a family of immigrants informed Thayil’s life and career. In his note, the guitarist highlighted his relationship with Yamamoto, Soundgarden’s co-founding bassist and “another immigrant’s American son.” The pair met while in high school before moving out to the Pacific Northwest together, where they explored Seattle’s “underground and independent subcultures” as “idealistic youths.”
A description on the HarperCollins website added that Thayil will write about how Soundgarden was “shaped by the diverse backgrounds of its creators: Thayil’s Indian heritage and founding bassist Hiro Yamamoto’s Japanese background added unique dimensions to the band’s identity, influencing not only their music but also their experiences in the industry.”
A Screaming Life is available to pre-order now, and it’s set to be published on May 19, 2026.
The book will notably arrive on the heels of Soundgarden’s upcoming induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The band has been eligible for induction since 2012, but prior to this year, it had only appeared on two ballots, failing to receive enough votes each time. Speaking with Rolling Stone earlier this year, Thayil said the surviving members of the band — himself, drummer Matt Cameron, and bassist Ben Shepherd — plan on performing at the induction ceremony, with a guest filling in for Cornell, who died in 2017. (The induction ceremony will take place Nov. 8 and stream live on Disney+; ABC will also air a primetime special of highlights on Jan. 1.)
