When I imagine what a Caravaggio painting might sound like, I think of the band Alice In Chains. Their music has bold and often frightening imagery confronting topics such as trauma, addiction and death. Alice in Chains are masters of chiaroscuro – an interplay between light and dark, weaving in both bright and hopeful sounds with scathing and alarming noise. The vocal harmonies feel lush and dynamic, beckoning one to – as expressed in the song “Brother” — wonder how color tastes. Overall, just like a Caravaggio painting, the music of Alice in Chains feels immersive – taking me on a journey with no clear endpoint.
At the creative core of the band’s sound is founding member, singer-songwriter and musician Jerry Cantrell. Cantrell has been with Alice In Chains since its formation in 1987, playing with original lead singer Layne Staley’s death in 2002 and continuing to this day with new vocalist and guitarist William Duvall. Cantrell has also been a solo artist and is about to release his new album Brighten in which he collaborates with artists such as Duff McKagan of Guns and Roses. In speaking with Cantrell, I wanted to understand how he approached his creative process. How was he able to make such immersive, dynamic and compelling music? Cantrell explained that by finding his purpose in music, and building a community of likeminded people with whom he could share his musical journey, he was able to help create an open, experimental environment where he and his bandmates could dare to create their most audacious and confrontational music.
Cantrell’s music was born out of equal parts fear and exhilaration. From an early age, Cantrell recognized two clear truths: first, that he found purpose in music and second, that pursuing a career in music would be terrifying at times – especially when performing in public. Cantrell recalled the support he received from his music teachers, and how one of his teachers, Brian Martin, encouraged him by quoting a passage from the Robert Frost poem “The Road Not Taken.” It motivated Cantrell to take on challenging endeavors and to see making mistakes as an important part of fulfilling his life’s purpose. “Take the path that’s a little more difficult…a lot of the way you learn is by making a whole lot of mistakes and it’s okay to do that,” Cantrell told me. “I’ve been fortunate in my life to do what I felt like I wanted to do from a young age … I always had a feeling about playing music and guitar and writing songs. And I just followed that feeling … no matter what the difficulty and took the chance of following what felt right … I think that everybody’s kind of seeking that in your life. And whatever that is, and it’s sometimes scary to take chances. But that’s what’s required.”
Cantrell soon found a community that supported his vision. That community included not only his bandmates and management, but also the Seattle music scene in the ‘80s and ‘90’s. And this community from which Alice in Chains evolved also produced bands such as Nirvana, Pearl Jam and Soundgarden. “When I moved up to Seattle, that’s when I met Layne and Sean (Kinney) and Mike (Starr) … We were all basically the same age and had very similar dreams … we just dove into it,” he explained. “Another really great thing about where we came from — there was just a ton of other really talented folks and artists, kind of pursuing the same dream … We all hung out in the same bars and, and parties and stuff like that, and we’d go to each other’s gigs and you know, and it was just a really inspiring kind of scene to fall into.”
Part of Cantrell’s approach to forging a creative dynamic in the band reflected his approach to people. He described seeing people as multi-dimensional and able to evolve over time. Further, Cantrell recognized that people had flaws that didn’t have to hinder the music. In fact, the interplay of different band members shining at a particular moment can create even greater dynamics in the music. “I think we’re all really multi-faceted creatures … I think that we are multiple things at once. And oftentimes, we don’t fit into exactly some straight definition or mold that we’ve been kind of taught by the world,” Cantrell said. “It’s okay to express everything that is you and no person is one thing. And at different times in life, maybe you’ll lean on one attribute more than another. And great thing about being a part of a collective, like I have been with Alice In Chains is that that dynamic is true for every individual member, and then there’s even a greater strength as the group. And maybe you might be lacking in one area where you can lean on your bro next to you, they can pick up the slack and vice versa. It’s the team dynamic, you know? … It becomes a safe place. It gives you strength.”
This dynamic within the band, where there is greater strength in the group, is what Cantrell tries to foster in lives shows with the audience. Just as the musicians are immersed in the music where there’s an evolving interplay between the members, Cantrell wants the crowd to be immersed in an interactive performance to create a unique and organic experience. “Before it becomes a public thing, it’s really private …it’s us four guys in rehearsal rooms and hanging out and in a studio, in a cave. And we make this thing and we do it all in kind of quiet, in secret,” Cantrell described. “And then we kind of let it out and see what it does. And the payoff to that where you really get that … immersion is sharing that with a crowd of people – standing in front of a bunch of people playing. Now that’s when it all comes alive. It’s not that it’s any less alive before but it’s just in a different form. It’s truly, it truly unleashes like an energy from us on the stage … And more importantly, the energy that creates in the audience and that they throw back to us and you just kind of give it back and forth. And that’s, that’s the whole thing. It’s a celebration.”
And yet while Cantrell loves this exchange with the audience, one of the things he’s careful about is defining the meaning of different songs. He feels that it takes away from the audience’s authentic experience with the song. “I get people are curious and want to know but one of my least favorite things is explaining songs … At the point where it’s given to somebody, it’s yours, mannd it should be what you think it is. And it should be how you feel about it. And, and the great thing about songs is they become that personal for the listener, where it might mean one thing for one person and another to someone else and completely different to the artists as well. I prefer just to let it be.”
Whereas Alice in Chains has had a fairly stable lineup over several decades, Cantrell collaborates with other musicians for his solo work. The way that he chooses his collaborators utilizes that same dynamic and organic approach. Cantrell starts with his musical ideas and then gradually engages other musicians as he feels they would naturally blend with the project, until a new creative group emerges. “I’ve got my method about going about things … of gathering ideas and then fleshing them out. But they’re always going to go somewhere different from that,” Cantrell described. “And they’re always going to be elevated by the other people involved in the project. And they’ll have great ideas and everybody will bring their talent to the thing and put their mark on it. And everybody that played on this record did that as well.”
Ultimately, Cantrell will continue to find his purpose in music and take the risks needed to create the best music he can. And we are all welcome to join him on that journey. “The thing that’s consistent for me is I never know where the hell I’m going. I just know I want to get there. You know, I want to take the trip to get there. And so, you make the commitment — okay, let’s go for it,” Cantrell said. “And from start to end you’re in the fight. And creating is really exhilarating and satisfying but…for me you’re fighting. You’re slugging it out in the dark, you know. I don’t know what the hell I’m doing … but I’m gonna give it a shot until I can’t do that anymore.”
Listen to the full conversation with Jerry Cantrell on The Hardcore Humanism Podcast.
