Tool’s Maynard James Keenan Explains Singing Style to Sammy Hagar

Tool front man Maynard James Keenan explains his singing style to Sammy Hagar in this Sunday's upcoming episode of Rock & Roll Road Trip With Sammy Hagar, saying his unconventional vocal rhythms were first hatched during his days as a cross-country runner in high school.

When Sammy asked Maynard about his "genius" ability to phrase lyrics, Keenan said, "I remember running cross-country in high school, and everybody has their own breathing rhythms, right? It’s just supposed to be in-out, right? ... I was actually running to (my footsteps). So if you’re going over hills, or down hills, or in chuckholes, or whatever, my breath would follow those rhythms, which is weird."

Keenan adds that as he was hoofing it, he would listen to artists like AC/DC, Pink Floyd, King Crimson and Joni Mitchell while running, saying, "Odd time signature stuff . . . and that was kind of like the running. You're kind of following some of that. So, just naturally it's easier for me to write to things that are outside 4/4 (standard time signature)."

The episode of Rock & Roll Road Trip With Sammy Hagar airs this Sunday at July 7th, at 8 p.m. ET on AXS TV.

Tool will release its first album in 13 years on Aug. 30. The band has just completed a European tour and is scheduled to headline the Aftershock Festival in Sacramento, Calif., on Oct. 13.