Many will know these artists as being the icons of 90s grunge. When grunge broke into the mainstream in 1991, the genre dominated the alternative music world for the next five years. During this time, some members of leading grunge acts created side projects. These three side projects may have been forgotten after 30 years.
The Jury
Before Nirvana broke into the mainstream, Kurt Cobain and Krist Novoselic created a forgotten side project with Mark Lanegan and Mark Pickerel of the Screaming Trees. Both Nirvana and Screaming Trees were part of the Pacific Northwest grunge scene in the late 80s and early 90s. Cobain and Lanegan shared a love for Lead Belly, an American folk and blues musician from the early 20th century. They created the acoustic-driven project The Jury, in contrast to the heavy sounds of their respective bands. Originally, Cobain wanted to name the band Lithium, a name he later used for a track on Nevermind in 1991.
The Jury recorded four songs in August 1989 with producer and engineer Jack Endino. They recorded four covers of Lead Belly songs, including “Where Did You Sleep Last Night?” This version later appeared on Mark Lanegan’s 1990 solo album The Winding Sheet. Nirvana recorded their own live version on MTV Unplugged in 1993.
M.A.C.C.
One of the most notorious side projects of 90s grunge is Temple Of The Dog. In 1990, members of Soundgarden and future members of Pearl Jam released a tribute album for their friend and grunge pioneer Andrew Wood. These same members, excluding Eddie Vedder and Stone Gossard, came together for another side project. In 1993, Pearl Jam guitarist Mike McCready and bassist Jeff Ament teamed up with Soundgarden singer Chris Cornell and drummer Matt Cameron. Together, they recorded a cover of “Hey Baby (Land Of The New Rising Sun)” for the tribute album Stone Free: A Tribute To Jimi Hendrix. It was the only song recorded and released by this group.
Brad
In 1992, Pearl Jam rhythm guitarist Stone Gossard formed a side project with Regan Hagar. Hagar was a member of the band Satchel. He had previously played drums in Malfunkshun, a pioneering grunge band that featured Andrew Wood, whose death inspired the creation of Temple Of The Dog. Gossard, Hagar, and vocalist Shawn Smith of Satchel released two albums in the 90s and four in the 21st century. The core of the group has been Gossard and Hagar, though vocalist Shawn Smith performed with the group until his death in 2019.
Photo by Kevin Mazur/WireImage
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