Eddie Vedder of Pearl Jam performs at The O2 Arena on June 18, 2018 in London, England.
Brian Rasic/WireImageEddie Vedder goes solo, but certainly isn’t alone on Earthling.
The Pearl Jam frontman’s new album dropped at the stroke of midnight via Seattle Surf/Republic Records, and features the previously-released tracks “Long Way,” “The Haves,” “Brother The Cloud” and a collaboration with Elton John, on “Picture.”
Vedder’s latest musical journey is made possible with support from his touring band The Earthlings, which includes Red Hot Chili Peppers guitarist Josh Klinghoffer (now a Pearl Jam touring band member), album producer Andrew Watt on guitars, The Who’s Pino Palladino on bass, Glen Hansard on guitars and backing vocals, and RHCP drummer Chad Smith behind the kit.
Announced last September, Earthling is Vedder’s third solo album, and first since 2011’s Ukulele Songs, which peaked at No. 4 on the Billboard 200 chart. His most recent album with Pearl Jam was 2020’s Gigaton, which hit No. 4 on the all-genres Billboard 200.
Vedder and Co. will are currently touring the United States, with shows in San Diego, Los Angeles and Seattle in the coming days, and a tour of the U.K. and Europe to follow in June and July.
“We have a revolving door of covers,” Smith told Billboard ahead of the Earthlings’ two-night stand at New York’s The Beacon Theatre. “We rehearsed 21 different songs. A bunch of Pearl Jam songs, you name it.”
The release of Earthling caps a week-long feud with Nikki Sixx, which was sparked by Vedder’s swipe at Mötley Crüe and the “hair metal” era in general. Sixx went on to shade the Rock And Roll Hall of Fame-inducted Pearl Jam as “boring.” At the time of writing, Sixx hadn’t shared his review of Vedder’s Earthling.
Stream the album in full below.
NEWS
Oliver Tree’s team has provided a new update following the singer’s death in a helicopter crash on June 14, confirming that a new artist grant will soon be established in his memory to help creatives secure funding, a plan he had detailed in his will before his passing.
Accompanying a collection of photos highlighting Tree’s performances, travels and creative work through the years, a post shared Sunday (June 21) on his Instagram account revealed that the musician’s remains have been brought back to California, the state he called home and where he will be laid to rest. “His legacy will live on through his foundation/endowment named ‘Dr. Oliver Tree’s Extremely Epic Grant For Baby Geniuses’ coming soon,” the caption reads. “This is something that Oliver had put together before his passing.”
“We will make sure his wish comes to fruition so that more joy, love and art can be spread into the world, that was his final wish,” the statement continued, adding that “the constant love, support and positivity” shown by fans throughout the past week has helped his “family, friends and collaborators make it through these extremely difficult times.”
Tree was among six people who lost their lives in a helicopter collision in Rio de Janeiro. The musician was in Brazil for his The World’s First Tour run and had performed what would ultimately be his final concert on June 6 in São Paulo. The other victims of the crash were identified as passengers Lucas Vignale, Gaspar Prim and Lucas Brito Chaves, along with pilots Alexandre Souza and Charles Marsillac.
Just months before his death, Tree discussed his plans to direct his fortune and future earnings from his music toward a grant program for artists during an appearance on the Zach Sang Show. “I take no credit for anything I’ve ever done,” he said during the April interview. “Furthermore, I don’t believe that any of the wealth or things that get made from it is mine. So when I die … my will is set up so that when I pass, my family, nobody is going to get a penny.”
“If I have a wife or kids or anything, they’re not getting a penny,” he added at the time, explaining that the initiative would focus on helping artists create work rather than funding education. “I’ll get my kids through college, that’s the agreement, but there’s not gonna be a silver spoon. All the money is going to go back to artists.”
