Pearl Jam Bassist Jeff Ament Reflects on Band History and Future Direction

Jeff Ament discusses his new photo book 'Since Forever,' which collects photographs he has taken of Pearl Jam bandmates since their inception, offering rare glimpses into the group's early years and career milestones. During an interview with Rolling Stone's Music Now podcast, Ament addressed the band's recent return to performing after an 18-month hiatus and touched on the ongoing uncertainty surrounding their drummer position. Ament expressed optimism about the band's future, noting they have 'new energy' to channel into their upcoming work.

Pearl Jam bassist Jeff Ament has documented decades of band moments through personal photography, now compiled in his new book "Since Forever." The project emerged during the band's recent 18-month performance hiatus, created in collaboration with his brother Barry Ament. Notably, Ament's photographic archive begins relatively late in Pearl Jam's formation—he had sold his original camera to fund his initial move to Seattle in 1983, and only acquired replacement equipment while working on Cameron Crowe's "Singles" film project in the early 1990s.

The band recently returned to performing in late September at California's Ohana Festival, where session drummer Abe Laboriel Jr. accompanied them. However, ambiguity surrounds the drummer role's permanent status, with conflicting signals from band members about whether Laboriel represents a lasting addition or temporary arrangement. Ament expressed confidence about channeling renewed creative momentum into future musical directions.