Features
The Kerrang! staff’s top albums of 2024
You’ve seen the Kerrang! albums of 2024. Now check out what the staff were all listening to this year…
Guitarist Mike McCready has given an update on the follow-up to 2013's Lightning Bolt.
In an interview with 710AM ESPN (via PearlJamOnline), guitarist Mike McCready has teased that Pearl Jam have "a bunch of songs ready to go" for their new album.
It's been almost six years since 2013's Lightning Bolt, and while Mike agrees that "it's the longest I think we've had between records", he says that they're going to "get something cool this year".
“We did a huge tour last year like we were talking about, so we’re all still recovering from that," Mike says. "We’re writing songs for new record. We did our last record about five years ago. Hopefully we’re going to get that thing done soon. It’s been a bit, it’s been a little while… It’s the longest I think we’ve had between records. We’ve got a bunch of songs ready to go, and I think we’re going to get something cool this year. Hopefully it will be out, I don’t have a date on anything yet, though."
Mike's words echo the sentiments of guitarist Stone Gossard and bassist Jeff Ament, who said back in January that they were "in the middle" of writing album number 11.
“We’re going to make a record, and we’re in the middle of it,” says guitarist Stone Gossard. “We’re just going to keep plugging away until we get one done.”
“We’ve gone in, probably, four or five times in the last couple of years, so we have a whole ton of unfinished stuff,” bassist Jeff Ament adds. “We’re just sort of in a little bit of limbo. I’m sure everybody’s got a bunch more riffs, and I’m sure [frontman Eddie Vedder]’s got a handful of journal lyrics. It’s just going to take us all getting into a room together for six weeks and just knocking something out.
"This is a broken record, but I think I’ve said that I would record a lot more with Pearl Jam if that was what could happen,” continues Jeff. “It just hasn’t happened for some reason.”
In more concrete news, Eddie Vedder will play Wembley Stadium in London on July 6, supporting The Who. Get your tickets now.