Jeff Ament Opens Up About Pearl Jam’s New Drummer and ‘Since Forever’

Pearl Jam bassist Jeff Ament is looking back at the band’s earliest years while preparing for what could become another important chapter in the group’s long career.

In a new interview, Ament discussed his photography book Since Forever, Pearl Jam’s formative years, the band’s changing lineup and the search for a drummer following Matt Cameron’s departure. He also revealed that Pearl Jam is already thinking about new music and potentially returning to the road in 2027.

Since Forever, released Sept. 25, collects more than 250 black-and-white photographs taken by Ament throughout Pearl Jam’s rise from a Seattle band into one of rock’s most enduring acts. The project was created with his brother, designer Barry Ament, after the pair began going through decades-old negatives that were deteriorating with age.

For Ament, photography has always been more than a way to document the band. His images have appeared on several Pearl Jam releases, including Vs., Yield, Riot Act and Lost Dogs. Many of the photographs in the new book, however, capture quieter moments away from the stage.

The collection largely focuses on the period from 1990 through 1998, when Pearl Jam was rapidly becoming one of the biggest bands in the world. Ament’s camera captured life backstage, in recording studios and during the exhausting travel that came with the group’s success.

The origins of his photography habit were surprisingly practical.

Ament recalled that he sold his camera when he moved to Seattle in 1983 because he needed the money. For the first few years, he said, he barely took photographs. His opportunity to buy another camera came while working on the movie Singles, when the production needed photographs and effectively told him to get a camera and charge it to the film.

That experience helped reignite his interest in photography.

As Pearl Jam became increasingly successful, Ament also realized that taking photographs himself could be useful for the band’s creative projects. Instead of relying exclusively on expensive professional photographers, he could create images for album artwork, newsletters and other material connected to the group.

That DIY approach became part of Pearl Jam’s identity.

Ament’s new book consequently offers a personal perspective on the band’s rise rather than a conventional history told entirely through famous concert photographs. The images show musicians working, traveling, relaxing and simply spending time together.

That sense of friendship remains important to Ament as Pearl Jam moves forward.

The band is now navigating a major transition following Cameron’s departure. Cameron, who joined Pearl Jam in the 1990s and became the group’s longest-serving drummer, recently left the band.

Ament said the search for a replacement began with a straightforward approach: identify the drummer the members wanted most.

According to Ament, the eventual choice was the first name that came up among the band members. At the time of his interview, however, Ament remained cautious about describing the arrangement as permanent because the group had not yet performed together publicly.

That changed when Pearl Jam returned to the stage at the Ohana Festival in California. Abe Laboriel Jr., a longtime touring drummer associated with Paul McCartney, performed behind the kit. Eddie Vedder introduced Laboriel as helping the band for the night, leaving questions about the long-term lineup.

For Ament, finding a new drummer is about more than technical ability. Pearl Jam has spent decades developing a distinctive chemistry, and replacing a musician who had been such an important part of the group naturally carries emotional and creative weight.

At the same time, Ament appears eager to use the change as an opportunity rather than simply trying to recreate the past.

He said Pearl Jam has begun writing new material, although the members have not yet spent extensive time composing together. A few early ideas have already given him confidence about what might be possible.

Ament also expressed interest in making another album and touring in 2027.

The bassist described the band as having fresh energy after time apart. For him, that renewed enthusiasm could become the foundation for something different while preserving the relationships that have kept Pearl Jam together for decades.

That future matters because Pearl Jam members have increasingly confronted the realities of aging while remaining committed to performing.

Ament acknowledged that musicians who have been together for decades inevitably think about how long they can continue. Yet he also made clear that he still finds tremendous enjoyment in playing with his bandmates.

That tension — between the desire to keep creating and the awareness that time is limited — runs through much of the conversation surrounding Pearl Jam’s next era.

Since Forever offers a look backward at precisely the period when the band could not have known how long its journey would last. The photographs preserve moments from an era when Pearl Jam was still developing its identity and building the relationships that would ultimately sustain it.

Now, more than three decades later, Ament is looking ahead.

The arrival of a new drummer, the possibility of a new album and plans for another tour all suggest that Pearl Jam’s story is continuing to evolve rather than simply repeat its past.

For Ament, the photographs in Since Forever may preserve the band’s history, but they are not necessarily a farewell to it.

Instead, they provide a reminder of where Pearl Jam came from as its members prepare to discover where the band goes next.