by Sammy Hagar recently revealed details about an unexpected collaboration with Nickelback’s Chad Kroeger. This followed social media speculation that arose from an Instagram post featuring the two musicians along with Tommy Lee, as reported by Ultimate Classic Rock.
The collaboration began when Kroeger reached out to Hagar with a song he had written. He expressed his longtime admiration for the former Van Halen frontman.
“That’s so crazy. It’s like, Chad wrote a great song. I mean a great song. He called me and said, ‘Dude, you know what a fan I am. I’ve been listening to you my whole life and you’ve been such an inspiration. You always write these really upbeat songs. You know, about making people feel good and giving them encouragement [with songs] like ‘Dreams,’” Hagar said.
The project expanded to include other musicians. Tommy Lee also contributed to the recording.
“He’s going, ‘Dude, I want you to sing on the song.’ And I go, ‘Of course, I’ll sing on your song.’ So I go in and Tommy Lee, you know, was going to play a little drum part on there too, because they decided they wanted to get some other people and do this event. But I don’t want to give too much away, because this is Chad’s thing, this is Nickelback,” Hagar continued.
Hagar also addressed the viral nature of his Instagram post that sparked the collaboration rumors.
“Chad and I’ve been laughing about it ever since, because whenever you put up an Instagram post that has no premeditated thought to it and it’s interesting enough, it blows up. It blew up, you know, it’s getting like, three million views and stuff. [But] it was just meant to be a quick little silly thing. And honestly, I was being honest — we don’t know what we’re doing, right? Who knows if it’ll even come out. We just went in the studio and just recorded a song,” he said.
This collaboration represents an intriguing convergence of rock generations and styles. It brings together musicians from different eras of the genre.
Ultimate Classic Rock reported that Kroeger used AI technology to mimic Hagar’s vocal style in the initial stages of the song. He then invited the Red Rocker to sing on the final version. This modern approach to songwriting demonstrates how contemporary artists are incorporating new technologies into their creative processes. They still value authentic collaboration.
The project has expanded beyond the initial trio. Metal Wani revealed that Anthrax’s Charlie Benante also joined the collaboration. The drummer recorded a track with Hagar and Kroeger in what was described as a spontaneous and fun session. This adds another layer of metal credibility to the unexpected supergroup formation.
Despite the involvement of multiple high-profile musicians, AXS noted that the project remains in its early stages. No official band name, release date, or tour schedule has been announced yet. The organic nature of the collaboration reflects the musicians’ desire to prioritize creativity over commercial planning.
The project’s development continues to evolve organically. The musicians are focusing on the creative process rather than rushing toward a commercial release. Given the prolific nature of all the artists involved, fans may not have to wait too long for new music from this unlikely but promising collaboration.
