Pearl Jam bassist Jeff Ament recently revealed how the band chose their new drummer “at the top,” sharing details about the selection process in an interview with Rolling Stone.
Ament explained that the band aimed for their top choice immediately, which made it difficult to break the news to other talented drummers they know.
“It was the first name that came up,” Ament said. “In our minds, let’s start at the top. And all of us have, like, really good friends who are drummers. The hardest part was, like, telling my friends who are, like, killer drummers that we had a guy.”
He also discussed the band’s current progress with the new member and how they are adapting their classic songs.
“I hope this is our guy, but I don’t know if it is,” Ament continued. “We haven’t played a show yet, so it’s pretty hard to be fully committed. We finally got the ‘Even Flow’ thing figured out. It really sits back on the choruses. We programmed it into this drum machine. It’s amazing. You’re gonna love it.”
These details offer a rare glimpse into the band’s dynamics before the official reveal of their new drummer.
The remarks arrive at the end of a long and uncertain chapter for the Seattle band, which has cycled through several drummers across its history, including Dave Krusen, Matt Chamberlain, Dave Abbruzzese, Jack Irons and Matt Cameron. Cameron was the group’s longest-running drummer, and his departure after nearly three decades left a sizable hole in the lineup. The split as amicable, though it still left fans speculating for months about who would take his place.
Ament’s comments were made in connection with his new photo book, Since Forever, which he created with his brother, designer Barry Ament. The book collects more than 250 black-and-white photos from Pearl Jam’s early years along with Ament’s written reflections, and it was released on Sept. 25. That date carried extra weight for the band, since it was also the night Pearl Jam played their first show since Cameron’s exit.
The identity of the new drummer has since come into focus. Longtime Paul McCartney drummer Abe Laboriel Jr. was seated behind the kit for a surprise appearance at Ohana Festival, where Pearl Jam shared the stage with Billy Strings. The set marked Pearl Jam’s first gig since Cameron’s departure, and Laboriel Jr. was revealed as the band’s new touring drummer. Laboriel Jr. returned for the band’s first full headlining performance of 2026 that Sunday, and noted that he had previously recorded with Eddie Vedder on “Picture,” featuring Elton John, from the 2022 album Earthling.
Even so, Ament has been careful not to declare the arrangement permanent. Laboriel Jr.’s status with the group remains something of a trial, echoing Ament’s own admission that the band had yet to play a show with him at the time the interview was recorded. The cautious tone fits a band that has spent nearly 35 years absorbing lineup changes, including the arrival of Cameron in 1998 following his tenure in Soundgarden.
For now, Pearl Jam appears to be moving forward rather than standing still. Anticipation around the drummer question had been building for the better part of a year, making the Ohana sets a significant moment for the group and its fans. Whether Laboriel Jr. ultimately becomes a permanent member or remains a fill-in, Ament’s account makes clear that the band approached the decision the same way it approached the search itself — by starting at the top.
