Eddie Vedder and Andrew Watt Talk Spontaneity-Fueled ‘Earthling’ Album: ‘It Came Out of Nowhere’

variety.com:

Eddie Vedder and producer Andrew Watt, all it took was a couple of guitar chords to unexpectedly jumpstart sessions for Vedder’s third solo album, “Earthling.” The project, due Feb.

11 from Seattle Surf/Republic, is imbued with the spontaneity of friends new and old jamming together for the pure love of music, while touching on a host of weighty subjects and featuring eye-popping special guests along the way.Watt, a 31-year-old Long Island native and recent Grammy winner for producer of the year, has worked closely with such mega pop stars as Justin Bieber, Miley Cyrus and Dua Lipa as well as Rock and Roll Hall of Famers Elton John and Ozzy Osbourne.

But he’s quick to confess that his first love has always been Pearl Jam. “I’m a super-fan who has probably seen them live more than 40 times,” he says. ”I grew up playing guitar along with their songs in my bedroom as a kid.” From those humble beginnings, Watt broke into the business shortly after graduating high school and eventually landing a gig playing with Australian singer Cody Simpson.

In 2013, he joined the rock band California Breed alongside Deep Purple vocalist Glenn Hughes and drumming scion Jason Bonham, and two years later released his first solo EP, “Ghost in My Head.” Every now and then, Watt and Vedder would have casual hangs at Pearl Jam or other artists’ shows, but their friendship deepened during the pandemic, when they would frequently share music via text.“I knew of him,” Vedder says with a smile. “What I mostly knew was that he was a young guy who I’d bump into over the years on the road.