Alice In Chains Reveal How Grunge Era Icon Taught Layne Staley To Play Guitar

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Alice In Chains singer/guitarist Jerry Cantrell credited former Rage Against The Machine and Audioslave guitarist Tom Morello for teaching Layne Staley guitar chords in a new Eddie Trunk podcast interview. Alternative Nation transcribed his comments.

“Layne was a pure singer that kind of learned how to play guitar. I remember when we were on Lollapalooza, him hanging out with [Tom] Morello and stuff, and him teaching him a few chords. He wrote a couple of the greatest guitar riffs we ever did: Angry Chair, Hate to Feel, and Head Creeps.”

He also discussed continuing Alice In Chains with William DuVall.

“We started off on this with a really pure intent. William and I have some history of touring and playing, and making music before Sean, Mike, and I started talking about the idea of getting back together, and maybe doing a tour and going out and celebrating the music, and maybe leaving the band in a better place than we left it. Also celebrating our friends, Layne at the time, and Mike [Starr] later.”

They also discussed playing their new single “The One You Know” live on tour, the lead single off of their new album.

Cantrell said, “It’s a good tune, we played it for the first time in, what was it Will, North Carolina?”

William DuVall added, “Yeah, it was Carolina Rebellion. We made it through, and it sounded pretty good. We’ve been playing it ever since. It’s alright.”