"Collide", a brand new solo song from Soundgarden bassist Ben Shepherd, can be streamed using the SoundCloud widget below. The track comes off Shepherd's debut solo album as Hbs (his given name of Hunter Benedict Shepherd), "In Deep Owl", which will be released on August 27. The collection of songs was recorded in the industrial neighborhoods of Georgetown and Interbay in Seattle, Washington and was produced by Dave French, Ben Shepherd, Chad MacMurray and Nathan Yaccino. It features guest appearances by Soundgarden drummer Matt Cameron and former Pearl Jam drummer Matt Chamberlain.
Regarding the Cd title, Shepherd told Bass Player magazine: "That's an old nickname for the neighborhood where I hang out."
He added: "[The album] was done before Soundgarden returned to doing anything, and then it was put on the back burner."
Speaking about Soundgarden's reunion, Ben said: "I don't think we should have split up in the first place. We definitely needed a hiatus, and we took one. It was just longer than everyone thought. I can see all the proactive goodness of it. It's ironic that two days before the call, I was finishing my solo album and telling everyone I would never be in another band â€” ever. I will help other guys make records. I've been a hired gun to my friend Mark Lanegan [Screaming Trees, Queens Of The Stone Age]; itâ€™s fun to be a part of a creative process and play live, but for me nothing compares to Soundgarden taking the stage. That's the big daddy of them all. I knew we'd always be in business together, so we might as well do the cool part â€” make music."