Pearl Jam has been without a drummer since July 2025, when Matt Cameron retired after 27 years with the band. They seem to be taking their time filling that role. Bassist Jeff Ament even admitted they’re “not in any massive rush” to find a new drummer.

However, Ament also said that Pearl Jam is hoping to schedule live shows for 2027. Ideally when they’re still “physically young-ish”. Ament added that there is some urgency to get back on stage while they can. Even so, they’re still procrastinating finding a replacement for Cameron.

As for Matt Cameron himself, his departure from Pearl Jam seemed sudden for his bandmates. But in reality, he foreshadowed his retirement several years earlier. He and Ament would often joke about how many years they had left in the band, teasing about leaving once they both turned 60. To Ament, it was simply a joke at the expense of the band’s long life. But for Cameron, it turned out to be serious.

Pearl Jam Takes Their Time Finding New Drummer, While Matt Cameron Plans Other Endeavors

Matt Cameron parted ways with Pearl Jam after growing weary of the touring lifestyle. He joined the band in 1998, playing drums on every subsequent album and countless tours since then. After almost 30 years of that, plus his time in Soundgarden, it seemed that Cameron was ready to slow down a bit.

But Jeff Ament admitted that his longtime friend and bandmate struggled after Chris Cornell’s death in 2017. Cameron was with Soundgarden beginning in 1986, through to their first break-up in 1998 when he joined Pearl Jam, then from their 2010 reunion until Cornell’s death.

“I think when Chris [Cornell] passed that was a massive hit for all of us, but in particular for Matt,” Ament told Under the Radar in November 2026. “I know there was a period of time where he wasn’t sure he wanted to even play anymore, and pretty much since then he’s been talking about winding it down and wanting to do some other things.”

Ament added, “He’s got some other itches to scratch but it was a pretty f***ing sad moment. You’ve got years of traveling the world and making music together, but I’m stoked for him.”

There’s no word yet on what Matt Cameron’s “other itches” are, or if his next endeavors will be as public as Pearl Jam. Maybe he wants to take up woodworking; there’s really no telling. Meanwhile, Pearl Jam might have to find a new drummer sooner than they’d like to if they want to avoid the dreaded revolving door lineup.

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Before Eddie Vedder became the iconic grunge singer in Pearl Jam, he worked as a security guard in San Diego. He worked the night shift so in his free time, he would spend mornings surfing on the coast of the Pacific. Aside from brief bouts in other bands, Vedder had received a demo tape from future bandmates, guitarist Stone Gossard and bassist Jeff Ament. During an early morning foggy surfing session, Vedder felt inspired by the demo and thoughts of his father. That is, his real father.

When Eddie Vedder was a teenager, he learned some harsh news. The man he believed to be his father was actually his stepfather. His real father, Edward Severson, had already passed away by the time Vedder discovered this truth. For years, this shook Vedder’s perception of reality and later inspired his writing. During this specific surfing session, Vedder strung together his thoughts, adding lyrics to the demo tapes that were sent to him. He pieced together the three tracks into one “min-opera”, titled Mamasan. Vedder drew inspiration from his love for The Who’s Quadrophenia, which opens with the sound of waves on “I Am The Sea”.

The opening track of the mini-opera became “Alive”, the band’s breakout single. Upon hearing this demo tape, the future members flew Vedder up to Seattle. There, the band was in the studio with Chris Cornell and Matt Cameron of Soundgarden. Together, they were recording a tribute album called Temple Of The Dog, for their late mutual friend and musician Andrew Wood. In the studio, Cornell decided to let Vedder contribute additional vocals to the song “Hunger Strike”. It became a hit single in 1992 once their record label realized they had a collaboration between Soundgarden and Pearl Jam, after Pearl Jam found mainstream success in 1991.

Pearl Jam Forms, Taking Grunge Into The Mainstream

After Temple Of The Dog finished and released their only album, Pearl Jam began recording their debut album, Ten. Their lead single, “Alive”, was released on July 7, 1991. It peaked at No. 16 on the Mainstream Rock Airplay chart and No. 18 on the Modern Rock Tracks chart. The success of the single set their debut album, Ten, up for future success. “Alive” is one of three songs included in the mini-opera demo, Mamasan. “Once”, the second song on the demo, was also included on the band’s debut album. The third track, “Footsteps”, appeared on the band’s rarities and B-sides compilation Lost Dogs, released in 2003.

Released on August 27, 1991, Ten went to No. 2 on the Billboard 200 a whole year later. Fueled by a string of hits with “Alive” and then “Even Flow” in March 1992. Following the release of “Jeremy” in August 1992, the album became a massive commercial success. Also, by this point, Nirvana had helped push grunge into the mainstream when they peaked at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 in January 1992. In August 1992, Ten peaked at No. 2, held from the top spot by Billy Ray Cyrus’ Some Gave All.

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