Years after his first solo work, In Deep Owl, Ben Shepherd returns to explore personal and visionary musical territories with The Star Chief Chronicles, a new EP consisting of four unreleased tracks.
The project originates under the moniker HBS (the initials of the bassist’s given name, Hunter Benedict Shepherd), which sees Shepherd joined by Drew Church on bass and Arik Ohlson on drums. Recorded in a place evocatively named A Building Called Space, the EP stands out for its raw and direct sound, built on an essential yet deeply evocative foundation.
The production moves through suspended and nocturnal atmospheres, with the mixing supervision entrusted to Nate Yaccino, a former collaborator of Matt Cameron and Shaina Shepherd on their recent joint EP New Begninning.
The artwork of the EP reinforces the sense of journey and inner space: a comet crosses a starry sky, perfectly echoing the visionary tension of the music.
The tracklist of The Star Chief Chronicles is divided into two sides:
Side A:
Ennymore
Simple I
Side B:
Hollow (Temple of the Other Monkey’s Shoe)
Two Thru The Blue
With The Star Chief Chronicles, Shepherd continues his artistic exploration begun over ten years ago with the underrated but still today superlative In Deep Owl, confirming himself as a musician capable of traveling between introspection and cosmic impulses.
In response to our question on Instagram, “Not available on streaming platforms yet, right?“, Ben Shepherd replied: “Nope, just a good ol’ fashioned EP and I wish it would stay that way.”
Born in 1968, Ben Shepherd joins Soundgarden in 1990, bringing a new and personal compositional energy to the band. He is not only a charismatic bassist but also the author of some of the most powerful and beloved songs in Soundgarden’s repertoire.
His most famous contributions include An Unkind, Attrition, Dusty, Half, Head Down, Never Named, Rowing, Safe Pollution, Somewhere, Switch Opens, Taree, Ty Cobb, and Zero Chance – songs that showcase his unique melodic sensibility and his talent for creating intense atmospheres, often suspended between melancholy, anger, and a very personal sonic exploration.
In the 1990s, while Soundgarden dominates the music scene, Ben Shepherd finds space to express his more experimental side through two parallel projects. With Hater – a band that also includes Matt Cameron – Shepherd steps away from the heavy sounds of his main group to embrace a raw, garage rock style tinged with psychedelia. Not just a bassist, in Hater he also takes on the role of guitarist and songwriter, crafting tracks that reveal retro influences and a taste for immediate, catchy melodies. Between 1993 and 2005, the group releases two albums (the second, recorded between 1994 and 1995, is released a decade later).
At the same time, Wellwater Conspiracy is born – a creative laboratory once again shared with Cameron and other musicians. On their debut album, the formidable Declaration of Conformity (1997), Shepherd contributes by playing various instruments and actively participating in the songwriting, shaping a sound that blends psychedelic rock, lo-fi atmospheres, and avant-garde experimentation. It marks an artistic chapter that confirms his ability to constantly reinvent himself away from the mainstream spotlight.
In recent months, Shepherd has returned to playing live with Matt Cameron, Kim Thayil and Shaina Shepherd in a special Nudedragons concert – an anagram behind which Soundgarden themselves are hidden – bringing back to the stage that magical alchemy that made the Seattle band one of the most influential ever.
At the moment, unfortunately, there is no official news on the release of the long-awaited posthumous album of unreleased Soundgarden songs. The group members have let it be known that the project remains pending, “in a sort of limbo“. Hopefully we can finally hear that material soon, which would represent a fundamental piece for anyone who loves their history.
The vinyl of The Star Chief Chronicles by Hunter Ben Shepherd is available exclusively for purchase on hbshepherd.bandcamp.com.
As confirmed above, there are currently no plans for a digital release.
Born in Reggio Emilia in 1980. He created pearljamonline.it in 2001 and wrote the first edition of “Pearl Jam Evolution” in 2009 along with his wife Daria. Since 2022, he is behind 2 podcasts: “Pearl Jam dalla A alla Z” and “Fuori Orario Not Another Podcast”. He has collaborated with Barracuda Style, HvsR, Rolling Stone, Rockol and Il Fatto Quotidiano. He continues relentlessly to try to find “beautiful melodies that say terrible things”.
Favorite song: Present Tense
Favorite album: No Code
Favorite bands/artists other than PJ: Tom Waits, Soundgarden, Ramones, Bruce Springsteen, IDLES, Fontaines D.C., The Murder Capital, Dead Kennedys, Mark Lanegan, Cat Power, R.E.M.