In a recent conversation with Spin, Andrew Watt said it is better not to be around while Eddie Vedder works.
The producer spoke about what it was like to collaborate with the Pearl Jam singer:
“I had worked with Ed before, but he is almost primal in the way that he works. Like, get the f*ck out of his way. He’s going to be moving around and putting his whole body into it, and 90% of the song is written in the first 15 minutes of what he’s hearing. The melodies just come to him.”
Eddie And Ozzy Osbourne Works Differently
In the following part of the chat, Watt compared the working styles of Vedder and Ozzy Osbourne:
“Take the bridge in ‘Dark Matter.’ The riff is [plays riff] very chromatic. Someone like Ozzy would write to that by singing the same melody, but Ed has this way of crafting these brilliant melodies over these weird chords. What he does in a matter of a couple of minutes would take me six months. It’s so natural and unthought that it’s amazing to witness. The power of improvisation is so important in being a great musician. Each of these guys really possesses that.”
What Should Fans Expect From The Album?
Andrew is the producer of the band’s new album, Dark Matter, which will be released on April 19. In a new interview with Rolling Stone, Watt explained what he wanted to do in this record:
“And on some of the later Pearl Jam records, Matt [Cameron] being the amazing musician, producer, drummer, and multi-instrumentalist that he is, was playing parts to fit the songs. I wanted him to f*ckin’ let loose. My goal, and I think this was a shared goal for everyone, was for there to be Soundgarden and Temple of the Dog level drumming on a Pearl Jam album. We wanted Matt’s personality to shine through.”
The band’s guitarist Mike McCready also told earlier this year to Classic Rock that it will be a heavy record:
“It’s a lot heavier than you’d expect. There’s the melody and energy of the first couple of records. Andrew pushed us to play as hard and, melodic and thoughtful as we’ve done in a long time. I feel like Matt Cameron’s drumming has elements of what he did in Soundgarden.”
The album’s title track arrived on February 13. In the lyrics, Vedder nodded to King Diamond. According to the singer, it is Pearl Jam’s best work. Eddie also recently confirmed that they will probably release one or two albums after ‘Dark Matter.’