Pearl Jam Guitarist Stone Gossard: “We’re On Our Way, We’re Making Music”

It’s official, Pearl Jam is working on new music.

According to guitarist and band co-founder Stone Gossard, who told Consequence, “We’ve recorded some songs. We’re on our way. We’re making music.”

The band released a new album, Gigaton, just before the COVID-19 pandemic struck, and as a result, the band’s big 2020 tour to support the album was dashed. More recently, though, Pearl Jam has announced a 2022 tour (with openers Josh Klinghoffer, Pixes, IDLES, and more) and now, there is news of new music and even a new LP.

But, of course, let’s not get ahead of ourselves.

Said Gossard, “It’s important for us to maintain that irreverence to songwriting, in terms of just throwing rough vocals on, just taking stabs at stuff, trying stuff.”

Gossard has already told Spin that the new album will be produced by Andrew Watt, who won a 2021 Grammy for Producer of the Year. Watt also produced Pearl Jam frontman Eddie Vedder’s new solo album, Earthling.

“We’re psyched,” added Gossard of the new work. “Andrew is a total character. Really, like immediately, we were writing quickly. Spontaneously. Bring in a riff. Let’s knock it out. [Drummer] Matt Cameron is playing his ass off. We didn’t bring any gear down. We were just doing some recording in Andrew’s basement in Beverly Hills, basically. So far, so good.”

According to the band’s guitarist, there are some early recordings and potential B-sides to date.

He said, “I think we’ve been a little more methodical in terms of trying to start and finish things. There [are] songs out there that we haven’t finished, and there [are] some things—whether they’re B-sides or not, who knows?”

“It’s the alchemy of the whole thing. Us being together and trusting each other and believing in that same process of rock and roll,” he concluded, “It’s simple, it doesn’t require any scientific knowledge, or any special skill set other than a belief, and a little bit of talent, and some love for each other… We’re always pushing that to this day.”

Photo: Danny Clinch