Yield Not

"All of us are music fans who love to play music," agrees Gossard. "I think everyone in this band is engaged with life; we're all moving at our own tempo, yet at the same time, we're all actively living. Nobody is sitting at home spending long hours in front of the TV. So I think as a human being, if you just remain fresh in your long-term commitment to each other—like, 'this is home, this is what I like to go back to, this feels good'—by having that in your head, when you do come back, you're energized to make music and it comes naturally. The sanity and happiness within this band is palpable—just the respect and feeling of security the band provides. Everyone is aware of that."

"If there's a time when we come back and everybody's bored and not into it, maybe you try it a couple more times, and then if it doesn't feel right, well, maybe it'll be time to give it a rest," says Ament. "But the last three records, for me, it doesn't feel so much like pulling teeth as it used to, when maybe we weren't communicating very well, no one expressing what they wanted or what their needs were. Having gone through that and getting to a point where we can talk to one another without it turning into a big fight or a big drama, well, that's a treat. That's the good part about being grown up.

Danny Clinch

Pearl Jam: from left (front row) Stone Gossard, Mike McCready, Eddie Vedder; (back row) Jeff Ament and Matt Cameron.

Danny Clinch

Pearl Jam: from left (front row) Stone Gossard, Mike McCready, Eddie Vedder; (back row) Jeff Ament and Matt Cameron.

Related Content

• Q&A: Stone Gossard Explains Why BRAD and Pearl Jam are Like a Ouija Board: "Someone Is Cheating a Bit, But It Still Can Be Spooky!"
  April 24, 2012
• 3 Notes for the Water Cooler About Willie Nelson, Pearl Jam, Lemolo, and Sasquatch!
  April 9, 2012
• Q&A: Stone Gossard
  April 25, 2012
• Pearl Jam's Bassist Makes His Pitch
  November 30, 2011
• Jeff Ament's Signature Bass Is a First For Pearl Jam and a Coup For Mike Lull Custom Guitars
  November 30, 2011

More About

• Eddie Vedder
• Stone Gossard
• Pearl Jam
• Mike McCready
• Jeff Ament

Like this Story?

Sign up for the Music Newsletter: Keep your thumb on the local music scene with music features, additional online music listings and show picks. We'll also send special ticket offers and music promotions available only to our Music Newsletter subscribers.

Privacy Policy Cancel Continue

"And you know what? Right now the Stones, the Who, Neil Young, Bob Dylan—they're all rewriting the rules of rock 'n' roll," he enthuses. "You can do it for a long time, and you can do it the right way. You can do it with honesty."

info@seattleweekly.com