Pearl Jam
The Skinny recently caught up with Stone Gossard of Pearl Jam on the eve of their World tour and the release of their forthcoming self-titled album. Here's what he had to chirp about...
So the "Leash" has been dropped. But where does a band - or more accurately a damn near universal institution like Pearl Jam - go when they’ve finally been released from a 7 album strong "golden handcuffs" record deal and rediscovered the freedom they’ve seldom been afforded since their formative years? More to the point, is there anywhere left to go artistically when your first album defined an era, other than to contrarily globe-trot your wares across the stadiums like Jon Bon? The sale of 60 million records can only change a band’s dynamic and sail it down a river of complacence, right?
Wrong.
On the eve of the release of their forthcoming self-titled album, guitarist Stone Gossard exclusively revealed the skinny to the eh... Skinny on the current motivation for the seminal Seattle outfit and the reasoning behind frontman Eddie Vedder’s earlier (and apparently since dismissed) suggestion of calling the LP ‘Super-unowned’; "The name came about when we were thinking about not being owned by anybody, the elements are un-owned for example… we are also un-owned not just artistically but in every way and I’d like to keep it that way. I think now the sense of freedom in this band is definitely less neurotic; we're smarter now."
If ‘Binaural’ and ‘Riot Act’ signalled the beginning of some steady decline into (shock, gasp!) MOR, then ‘Pearl Jam’ sees the quintet almost inexplicably bolstered back into the thrux of sheer punk rock aggression. Perhaps the explanation lies in Marilyn Manson’s hypothesis that overexposure to the Dubya administration’s megalomania would prove catalytic for Rock and Roll.
So did a second inauguration for Bush divert the band away from a seemingly inevitable trundling sigh to instead prompt Vedder’s uproarious caterwaul of “I have tasted a life wasted and I am never going back again” in the staple refrain from the opening track to their eighth studio effort? Is it simply harder now to write a purely introspective record without accounting for those overbearing political influences? Stone ponders; “It’s pretty difficult to avoid the politics these days. I think a lot of people are scared to be seen as un-patriotic and we do address a certain level of self-criticism for our government in our music, but on the whole I think that any kind of self awareness in thinking about the big picture is pretty much a negative. Personally I think a natural creative process is about losing that self-awareness, all that stuff's a distraction. It's a reality that you hear about and you go through, and I think the people who are good at it are the ones who can block that stuff out and keep going back to that same energy that they found when they first started playing music." From a background ranging through precursory bands of the 90s alternative rock movement like Green River, Mother Love Bone and Temple of the Dog (the dedication to the former's late singer Andrew Wood), to bassist Jeff Ament's Three Fish, Gossard's Brad, Mike McCready's Mad Season and drummer Matt Cameron's hand blistering past life spent behind the kit for Soundgarden, to name just a handful; it's easy to understand why their pedigree was unlikely to stumble down the beaten path for the average rock uber-lord.
Like 'Vitalogy', 'No Code' and 'Yield', the sleeve alone is typically suggestive of a collective mental direction, although the meaning of which, if any, remains ambivalent. The simplistic and bright external artwork conjures up a mental picture of sunshine and surf, whereas the liner notes and inlay are littered with severed heads and near gothic imagery, an aesthetic dualism heretofore alien to Pearl Jam fans and cynics alike. So was the band conscious of the record being any form of departure or thematic progression from anything they’d captured on record previously?
"Well we did consider using narration to thematically unify the album", Gossard offers; "but in the end, a less conceptual structure just felt right. As for this being a departure, all I can say is it's better than anything we've done before. Ed’s singing voice is unreal, he raised the bar on all the songs. I think we all pushed each other to make, dare I say, a classic album. It kinda clicked more so than the last one because I really wanted this to be the best that it could be, and I really put my head down and worked on this one. That’s not to say that I didn't work on the last one, but for this one we just really felt like a band."
Arguably, Pearl Jam have always controlled an uncanny knack for evolving their style with rotating writing partnerships, allowing for the avoidance of stagnancy or sameness in their music from record to record, with varying degrees of publicly accepted success for those who would prefer a revised version of 'Vs.' biannually. So is the song writing still very much a collective effort? Gossard confirms; "It's ultimately always a collective effort, we go off and write our own songs - then come back and re-write some parts, add in new stuff... the good thing about this band is that we can all write a good song, there's no sole songwriter - we all have our own projects and separate strengths."
To what do the band attribute their ability to hang around the block for so long after the grunge goldrush? Stone suggests; "I think it's the fact that we kind of operate under the radar when it comes to non-musical aspects of our lives. We've taken a lot of time out away from each other to live our separate lives. That's why we were so excited when we came back to make this album." This excitement is plain to see as the latest LP lays down the testimony of a band who have come full circle to create something truly electric and inviting, with a dose of acoustic Vedder-driven balladry to slow down the heart rate when required.
Having just played a club show in London that sold out in a heartbeat, and as they gear up for their first major world tour since 2000, the anticipation for the next chapter is mounting. But then again it must be like riding a bike by now, surely? Stone considers all aspects of the live show; "We've actually rehearsed more for this tour than we've ever rehearsed in our lives, Matt is singing a lot of the vocal harmonies, and he's just killing it. The benefit of playing in a Kiss cover band when you're 12 is that you learn to sing." He then alludes to the Roskilde tragedy which occurred in 2000 when the band last played in Europe; "It seems like an era to trust that we're aware enough to get through those bigger shows. We have a heightened awareness of what needs to happen every night so people are as safe as they can possibly be."
Upon being reminded by The Skinny that it is, in fact, totally rubbish that they’ve only appeared in Scotland twice within the last 15 years, Gossard acknowledges the crime but is distinctly non committal about the future; “We might be doing some more roadwork in 2007 and get around Europe a bit more then, I can't confirm anything for definite but that normally includes a gig in Scotland, right? So we'll see you there."
Best get some Reading tickets then, or content yourself with a few spins of the black circle.
FULL INTERVIEW:
Skinny: Eddie joked in a recent interview that you had toyed with the idea of calling the new album 'Superun-owned', is that to suggest that you collectively feel some sense of freedom, artistically or otherwise, and since your release from Epic?
Stone: "Yeah, I mean the name came about when we were thinking about not being owned by anybody, the elements are un-owned for example.. we are also un-owned not just artistically but in every way and i'd like to keep it that way, i think now the sense of freedom in this band is definitely less neurotic - we're smarter now."
Skinny: Eddie also commented that the album is "a product of what it's like to be an American these days" - Mark Arm and Josh Ritter have both said something similar of their new records to us in recent interviews.. it seems Dubya's had his way with Rock and Roll. Is it harder now to write an introspective record without those overbearing political influences?
Stone: "Its pretty hard to avoid the politics these days- i think a lot of people are scared to be seen as un-patriotic and we do address a certain level of self-criticism for our government in our music, but on the whole I think that any kind of self awareness thinking about the big picture is pretty much a negative. Personally I think a natural creative process is about losing that self-awareness, all that stuff's a distraction. It's a reality that you hear about and you go through, and I think the people who are good at it are the ones who can block that stuff out and keep going back to that same energy that they found when they first started playing music."
Skinny: With that in mind, to what extent are you conscious of this record being thematic, a progression or a form of departure from anything you've done previously?
Stone: "Well we did consider using narration to thematically unify the album, but ultimately a less conceptual structure just felt right. As for this being a departure, all I can say is it's better than anything we've done before. Ed's singing voice is unreal- he raised the bar on all the songs. I think we all pushed each other to make, dare I say, a classic album. It kinda clicked more so than the last one because I really wanted this to be the best that it could be, and I really put my head down and worked on this one – not to say that I didn't work on the last one – but for this one we just really felt like a band."
Skinny: Is the song writing still very much a collective effort?
Stone: "Its ultimately always a collective effort, we go off and write our own songs- then come back and re-write some parts, add in new stuff... the good thing about this band is that we can all write a good song, there's no sole songwriter- we all have our own projects and separate strengths."
Skinny: Do you feel that this work ethic has served you well in terms of the band's longevity?
Stone: "It has but I think what's really helped us along the road are the fans. They have been with us through thick and thin. I am constantly amazed at their support over the years. I also think it's the fact that we kind of operate under the radar when it comes to non-musical aspects of our lives. We've taken alot of time out away from each other to live our separate lives. That's why we were so excited when we came back to make this album."
Skinny: You're playing London next week and gearing up for your first major world tour since 2000, whats the feeling like amongst the band? Must be like riding a bike by now surely?
Stone: "We've actually rehearsed more for this tour than we've ever rehearsed in our lives, Matt is singing a lot of the vocal harmonies, and he's just killing it. The benefit of playing in a Kiss cover band when you're 12 is that you learn to sing! It seems like an era to trust that we're aware enough to get through those bigger shows. We have a heightened awareness of what needs to happen every night so people are as safe as they can possibly be."
Skinny: You've got an overwhelming back catalogue to draw from, what can be expected from the upcoming tour? Is Boom back on keys? Go on, play Hunger Strike I dare you!
Stone: "I'm not giving away the setlist or anything! It won't disappoint, let's put it that way- we're just really looking forward to rocking together."
Skinny: Do you have any intentions of bringing the tour to Scotland, you've only been here twice in 15 years, that's rubbish!
Stone: "Sure man! I think the last time we were there was Glasgow and that was a while ago now... we might be doing some more roadwork in 2007 and get around Europe a bit more then, I can't confirm anything for definite but that normally includes a gig in Scotland, right? So we'll see you there."
Skinny: What new bands do you guys enjoy at the minute? Who are you planning to take out on the road with you?
Stone: "This tour we've got Tom Petty and the heartbreakers and Sonic Youth on all but the first two second leg shows. And My Morning Jacket- I've really tuned into those guys as far as new music goes."
Skinny: With such a varied palette of influences amongst you, which artists would you especially like to work with if time, money and geography weren't factors?
Stone "Man, there are so many- The Who, Neil Young, Kiss, The Ramones, Soundgarden, Mudhoney... the list is endless!"
Pearl Jam is released through J Records on May 1.
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