"We were hanging out with our acoustic guitars, and we wrote four songs in two or three hours": Duff McKagan and Jerry Cantrell are thinking of making an album together

Duff McKagan and Jerry Cantrell studio portraits — (Image credit: Duff McKagan: Charles Peterson | Jerry Cantrell: Jonathan Weiner)

Guns N' Roses bassist Duff McKagan has revealed that he and Alice In Chains guitarist Jerry Cantrell are thinking about recording an album together. McKagan's revelation comes in the latest episode of Life In The Stocks, the podcast hosted by journalist and broadcaster Matt Stocks.

McKagan informs Stocks that he's playing bass on five songs on Cantrell's next solo album – which is currently being recorded – before revealing that the pair have considered taking the collaboration further.

"We're thinking about doing a joint record at some point," says Duff. "We made a video for that song Just Don't Know [the first single from McKagan's 2023 solo album Lighthouse]. So we were hanging out with our acoustic guitars, and we wrote like four songs in two or three hours."

"I really appreciate guys like Jerry," he adds. "It's really nice for me to work with guys who are basically the exact same age and have been through the exact [same] shit. I can see him write songs and fight his guitar for whatever lead. It's so great to watch. He tortures himself to get to this place. Goddammit!"

Elsewhere in the podcast, McKagan talks about Scott Weiland and his time in Velvet Revolver, his struggles with addiction, the Guns N' Roses reunion, and Axl Rose's stint in AC/DC. The full episode is below.

McKagan and Cantrell have previously worked on several projects together, with McKagan playing bass on Cantrell's 2021 solo album Brighten and the guitarist returning the favour on Lighthouse. Cantrell also played guitar on How To Be A Man, the EP accompanying McKagan's book How To Be A Man (And Other Illusions), published in 2015, and on his 1993 solo album Believe In Me.

Artists

Online Editor at Louder/Classic Rock magazine since 2014. 40 years in music industry, online for 27. Also bylines for: Metal Hammer, Prog Magazine, The Word Magazine, The Guardian, The New Statesman, Saga, Music365. Former Head of Music at Xfm Radio, A&R at Fiction Records, early blogger, ex-roadie, published author. Once appeared in a Cure video dressed as a cowboy, and thinks any situation can be improved by the introduction of cats. Favourite Serbian trumpeter: Dejan Petrović.