In a revealing interview with CBS News Sunday Morning this weekend, Eddie Vedder and Jeff Ament of Pearl Jam reflect on their 35-year journey as one of the world’s most celebrated rock groups. The interview, conducted by Anthony Mason, offers a personal look at the band’s founding, their enduring success, and their latest musical projects.
Vedder shares a memorable anecdote about writing lyrics while surfing, recalling how he recorded his vocals for the band shortly after catching some waves: “I was doin’ those midnight shifts security. When I went for a surf in the morning… it was super foggy, and I almost didn’t go out. But then these waves started coming out of nowhere. I had the instrumental in my head, and I just kind of wrote and recorded it right after.”
Ament recalls his reaction to first hearing Vedder’s vocals: “I listened to it, and I left to get a coffee. Then I came back and listened to it again. I called Stone [Gossard] and said, ‘You need to come over right now.'”
The interview also explores Vedder and Ament’s childhoods, their relationship with their dedicated fan base, and the experience of growing older as musicians. Vedder describes the feeling of finding his place in the band: “You felt it. You were like, ‘Oh, this is what it is… This is heaven.'”
CBS News Sunday Morning: Pearl Jam’s Eddie Vedder and Jeff Ament airs Sunday, Sept. 22, at 9:00 AM ET on the CBS Television Network and streams on Paramount+.
