Eddie Vedder talked about the recording sessions for the new album by Pearl Jam, Dark Matterand its relationship with producer Andrew Watt, the young Pearl Jam fan (born in 1990 in the same week the band formed in Seattle) who is determining the rock sound of recent years thanks to his work on records by the Rolling Stones, Iggy Pop and Ozzy Osbourne. Andrew Watt is a trusted collaborator, with whom Eddie Vedder also shared the stage on the project Earthling (along with Chad Smith and Josh Klinghoffer and Benmont Tench) who, according to what they said, pushed them to give their best: “Because he knows Pearl Jam songs better than us” he said Mike McCready.
Eddie Vedder but he said that in the studio there were also some difficult moments: “I have to be honest, it made me mad a few times. And I had to tell him: screw it, step aside”. While recording a piece, Eddie felt the need to isolate himself: “We had been locked in the studio for two weeks for eight, ten hours a day, I had to disconnect and clarify things. Andrew said to me: before you leave, however, help us close this piece and I said: ok, give me ten minutes. I wrote and sang everything because I couldn’t wait to be alone for a while”. Andrew Watt’s creative drive was instrumental in giving a Dark Matter the live energy they were looking for and bring Pearl Jam back to their roots. “It was very good to have someone pushing us to the limit. We all picked up tools as an act of rebellion against the authorities, family and those who wanted us to do real work” said Eddie Vedder, “When you feel insecure or vulnerable you open the way to something profound that you couldn’t reach”.
