Chris Cornell

A lot of people get into alternative music as part of their identity. It's something that isn't the mainstream, that their brothers and sisters don't know about, and that their parents don't like. It's something they can have as their own. ”

I never thought of myself as being the singer that wanted to create an identity and then stick to that. ”

I rejected most of the folk I was exposed to in the Seventies. I came around later to Tom Waits, some parts of Jim Croce, and a lot of Cat Stevens. ”

I never felt bad about being lumped in with other Seattle bands. I thought it was great. ”

I used to hate playing Seattle shows. ”

It just doesn't get any more stripped down than going out totally alone and doing songs. ”

When you're out on the road touring and touring and then making records, you're just constantly looking forward, constantly working. You don't really stop to look at where you are or where you've been. ”

I feel like you're not a real musician or entertainer if you can't go into a room, pick up an instrument and entertain people. ”

There's something about losing friends, particularly young people, where it's not something that you get over. I don't believe there's a healing process. ”

I've always liked depressing music because a lot of times, listening to it when you're down can actually make you feel less depressed. Also, even though a person may have problems with depression, sometimes you can actually be kind of comfortable in that space because you know how to operate within it. ”