‘Grassroots’ is a new film based on the true story of two Seattle music journalists who look to shake up the political scene. But for Alice in Chains fans, the bigger news is that the movie will feature two never-before-released songs from late frontman Layne Staley.
Staley walked away from the music scene at the height of his band’s popularity, and his unfortunate death in 2002 left a large void in the world of hard rock. Over a decade after his passing, a new movie will add a new chapter to his already impressive body of work.
While it is unspecified whether the material is from Staley’s pre-AIC days or from the four year period between his last session with the band and his death, Paste Magazine is reporting that two previously unreleased Layne Staley tracks will appear in the film ‘Grassroots.’ At first glance, the film may not seem like the most obvious place to feature the tracks, but its ties to the Seattle music community make it a perfect fit.
‘Grassroots’ stars Jason Biggs and Joel David Moore as two music journalists who join forces to upset the local political scene, despite their complete lack of experience in the field. The film is based on the book, ‘Zioncheck for President: A True Story of Idealism and Madness in American Politics,’ which was written by the man Biggs will bring to the big screen, Phil Campbell.
The Stephen Gyllenhaal-directed movie will open with an extremely limited release later this month, with a tentative summer date for the national release. A list of theaters, dates and times the film will be shown can be found at the ‘Grassroots’ official website.
Meanwhile, the bands Staley left behind — Alice in Chains and Mad Season — are at work on new material. Alice in Chains’ second disc without the late vocalist is expected in early 2013, while Mad Season are looking to complete tracks they recorded in Staley’s absence.
