Soundgarden and Vicky Cornell, the widow of late frontman Chris Cornell, have reached a legal settlement that will clear the way for releasing new songs by the grunge legends.
Two sides have been engaged in a messy legal battle since 2019 when Vicky Cornell sued the surviving members of Soundgarden, guitarist Kim Thayil, drummer Matt Cameron, and bassist Ben Shepherd, for pressuring her into giving up unreleased vocal recordings by her late husband. The band responded with a counter-suit that claimed the recordings were Soundgarden’s ownership since they were made for their new album.
After finalizing the settlement, Soundgarden and Vicky Cornell will now work together to make Chris Cornell’s final songs with the band available to the public. It is believed that Cornell recorded vocals for seven tracks before passing away in 2017.
“The reconciliation marks a new partnership between the two parties, which will allow Soundgarden fans around the world to hear the final songs that the band and Chris were working on,” Soundgarden and Vicky Cornell said in a joint statement.
Soundgarden is considered one of the most influential bands of the ‘90s grunge era. The band recorded five albums between 1989 and 1996 before disbanding a year later. The group reunited its original lineup in 2010 and went on to release the sixth and final record King Animal in 2012.
