As guitarist and co-lead vocalist of Alice In Chains, Jerry Cantrell is one of the most iconic musicians to emerge from Seattle. His band have overcome the death of their frontman, Layne Staley, to continue making grunge greatness, while Jerry also sustains a solo career, and has just released fourth album I Want Blood.
So what better time to make him face down your questions on film scores, childhood idols and his decades-long friendship with Metallica?
Is it true you once locked yourself in a garage and wrote songs in there? Sabrina Salerno, Instagram
“Ha ha ha! That’s a little bit of an exaggeration. When I write, I tend to stay in the same location, usually my house – it’s not a garage! Ha ha ha!”
Hammer: Do you write the same way for Alice and your solo albums?
“Pretty much, because Alice In Chains can do any kind of record or any kind of song we want. We did Facelift and Sap. We did Dirt and Jar Of Flies. We can put out any kind of music. If I’m working with Alice, making a record, and the guys like the music, it can become an Alice song. I’ve made four uniquely different solo records. Boggy Depot doesn’t sound like Degradation Trip.”
How many guitars do you own?
Edward Glory, Facebook
“Maybe 100. I think the last guitar I got was from Gibson. They gave me a pink champagne sparkle Flying V. I still buy guitars but I’m not like Joe Bonamassa or Kirk [Hammett]. Kirk will spend a quarter-million, half-million dollars on a guitar. He’s got [legendary blues singer-songwriter and Fleetwood Mac founder] Peter Green’s guitar; Slash has a few of them too: some pretty spendy ’59 Les Pauls. I think 12 or 15 grand may be the most I’ve ever spent on a guitar.”
How is Nona Weisbaum [a character Jerry played in 1995 Alice mockumentary The Nona Tapes]?
Kirstenrhianti, Instagram
“She’s doing well, and living in Scottsdale, Arizona.”
As one of the most metal 90s alt acts, did you ever get into anything more extreme like death metal, black, etc.?
Sam Nicholson, Facebook
“I wasn’t into that so much, but Layne was. Layne was a Slayer, King Diamond and Venom fan. Layne liked the harder stuff, I was more into the New Wave Of British Heavy Metal, like Judas Priest. Layne’s favourite vocalists of all time were King Diamond and Ian Gillan.”
Which bands did you listen to as a kid?
Richard Wilson, Facebook
“The first music I connected to was probably country music and AM pop radio stuff, which I’d listen to in my aunt or uncle’s cars. When I started to find music for myself, it was Fleetwood Mac, Elton John, the Bee Gees. Saturday Night Fever was one of my favourite records. When I started picking up the guitar, I discovered Kiss, AC/DC, ZZ Top, Ted Nugent, Aerosmith, Van Halen, plus all those English metal bands. There’s a lot of funk and soul in there too: Marvin Gaye is badass! A diverse mix.”
What riff do you think will define Alice In Chains?
Reigning_Ting, Instagram
“That’s a tough one. The first big one was Man In The Box and that seems to be one of our immediate, universal riffs. Rooster’s another but I don’t know if it’s necessarily a ‘riff’. So Man In The Box.”
Hammer: After playing that song for nearly 35 years, have you ever got bored of it?
“Once you hit that first note and get into the groove, and you hear the roar from the crowd, any feelings of tiredness or whatever, I don’t really get. You’re lucky if you have a song that people want to hear, so you’ve got to play it for them. We’ve been lucky enough to have a good handful of songs throughout the years, so the challenge becomes, what do you cut out? Somebody’s always going to be bummed out. Ha ha!”
What’s your favourite Seattle album of all time?
Thegazzolo, Instagram
“Are You Experienced. It’s Hendrix, come on, man! He was our first big rock dude.”
Did the film Singles [which featured Alice In Chains, Soundgarden and members of Pearl Jam] feel important to the Seattle scene at the time?
Eddie Marshall, Facebook
“It did. Cameron [Crowe, director] was a creative guy and a big supporter of music. Music and film, for him, were intermingled. He was really on an arc and taking off, and so were we all, and we were doing something cool together. I think I read a quote where he called that movie ‘my love letter to Seattle’, and that’s what it is.”
Would you rather be remembered as a great songwriter or a great guitarist? Duncan Kerr, Facebook
“I think I’m probably in the conversation for both. I think I’ve done pretty well with both. I’ve got a unique approach and an identifiable sound that I’ve developed, along with my friends and my band. That’s what you want as an artist: to be somebody that most people can hear and within a couple of notes go, ‘That’s them!’ I think we’ve earned that, and I’m thankful.”
What was the band’s reaction when Mike Inez wrote, ‘Friends don’t let friends get Friends haircuts,’ on his bass before you all did on MTV Unplugged?
Yk.Wav, Instagram
“That was about the time Metallica cut their hair. They were going for a new look, and maybe some hair was starting to go, so they made the wise decision to not hold onto it too long. Ha ha! They are close friends of ours, there was no disrespect, and I think Mike was just taking the piss. They laughed about it.”
Will you ever do a collaboration album with James Hetfield?
Leandro Ignacio, Facebook
“James and I have talked about it, kind of. We never had a formal conversation but I’ve jammed with him at Kirk’s place. I’ve even spent a night or two at his house, and we’ve ended up with guitars in the kitchen and on the porch. It’s something I’d be really curious about, even to just write a song with him. As for whether it’d turn into something more than that, he’s got a pretty demanding day job. Ha ha! So I’d understand if it never comes to be.”
You’ve been co-singer of Alice In Chains since the band started. Do you think you’re underrated as a vocalist?
Sharon Jane Davies, Facebook
“I don’t know. I’ve been doing it for so long but maybe there’s a portion of people that aren’t as aware because I’m not centre stage in the band. That’s fine, I don’t mind. It’s more about if you’re relating to the tune, so I try to be interchangeable. I’ve always been a fan of bands that have multiple lead singers, starting with The Beatles. Layne was always into harmony as well. Sometimes, one plus one equals three: two voices can come together to make something even bigger.”
Ever been approached to score a film?
Alan Buettel, Facebook
“I have done little bits of scoring. I worked with Michael Kamen on Last Action Hero, that not-so-stellar Arnold Schwarzenegger movie.”
Hammer: We’ll defend that film to the death!
“It had a really cool soundtrack. Alice contributed the songs A Little Bitter and What The Hell Have I, and it was great working with Michael, who’s done so many great films, on some car chase scenes and stuff like that. That was cool, watching the scenes and playing along to them while he’s directing me.”
Will you ever record with Mike Patton?
Emil Gut, Facebook
“Oh yeah! Patton’s a supreme weirdo. That is the highest compliment.”
How did you meet Duff Mckagan?
Astilla Dominguez, Facebook
“I think Duff remembers better than I do. While I survived the 90s, not all of me did.”
Hammer: What did you leave behind?
“A few brain cells, for sure. I think it was in LA and we ended up at his house one night. We were playing pool, listening to music, getting various stages of fucked up and having a good time.”
Did Alice try out any famous vocalists before reforming?
Adam Oakes, Facebook
“I don’t think we really ‘tried’ anybody. We were just trying to figure out if we wanted to jam. We were jamming as friends, and we invited a few friends down to come play these songs. The idea was to maybe just do a handful of shows and celebrate the music. I think we did that with Phil Anselmo and Pat Lachman from Damageplan at a gig. But I knew William [DuVall] and he was part of my touring band for Degradation Trip. We were already good friends and had performed a lot of the Alice stuff.”
If I would, could you?
Omar Garcia, Facebook
“Obviously, I did.”
I Want Blood is out now via Double J. Jerry Cantrell plays Download Festival in June and London’s Kentish Town Forum on June 17.