19 April 2024 – Dark Matter Album Artwork: light painting art by Alexandr Gnezdilov

“The New Pearl Jam Album Is Their Best In Decades” – UPROXX

“Pearl Jam Dig Deep and Find a New Light on ‘Dark Matter’” – Rolling Stone

“…an album with something to love for every iteration of Pearl Jam fan” – SPIN

“Dark Matter succeeds so well” – MOJO

Already heralded as the band’s best in decades, Pearl Jam proudly present their anxiously awaited twelfth studio album, Dark Matter, available now via Monkeywrench Records/Republic Records/Universal Music Canada, the country’s leading music company.

From the kinetic opener “Scared of Fear” through the optimistic exhale of album closer “Setting Sun,” these eleven tracks find the musicians firing on all cylinders. A surge of energy underscores this body of work amplified by thunderous rhythms, skyscraping guitar solos, and vital vocals. Produced by GRAMMY® award winning producer Andrew Watt, Dark Matter, marks the band’s first release since critically acclaimed Gigaton (2020).

Pearl Jam initially set the stage for Dark Matter with the title track and lead single “Dark Matter.” It surged to #1 on Billboard’s Mainstream Rock Airplay Chart, where it remained for 3 weeks, netting the band’s first leader on the respective chart since 1998. It also captured #1 on the Billboard Rock & Alternative Airplay Chart.

“I would recommend you play it loud, like, really loud.” – Eddie Vedder, on how to properly listen to Dark Matter. (Via Alt 98.7)

“We’re proud of our twelfth baby after 33 years. So, sit back, close your eyes for the first listen, soak up the sounds and the words, and interpret them individually.” – Jeff Ament, advice on listening to Dark Matter for the first time.

“This one, we’re all in the room at the same time, with Andrew, and we’re all looking at each other, playing off of each other.” – Mike McCready, on the band’s recording process for Dark Matter. (Via Goldmine).

“It’s still making art with your friends. That always excites me. In that collaboration and the mix of being part of something that you’re not really in control of but you know that you’re playing a role in it, that’s a fun place to play. And it’s still fun to play, like a kid.” – Stone Gossard, on band collaboration. (Via Seattle Times)

“Andrew really understands the importance of performance in the studio, which is kind of how I operate, so we were on a really good working relationship from day one.” – Matt Cameron, on collaborating with Andrew Watt on Dark Matter. (Via New & Approved)

The band has staunchly continued their support of independent retailers by offering various, limited-edition galactic color variants of Dark Matter exclusively at select indie retail stores with 8 different colorways in the US and 2 additional for international.

In celebration of Record Store Day, Pearl Jam held 180 listening parties across 150 US stores and 30 international. Eddie Vedder and Jeff Ament from the band made a special surprise appearance at Easy Street Records in Seattle for the event. See photos HERE. The band is also celebrating indie record stores with the release of a special edition of Dark Matter available only at participating stores as part of Record Store Day. Get more information and find stores at www.recordstoreday.com.

On Tuesday, April 16th, Pearl Jam collaborated with Abramorama to create a unique global theatrical premiere of Dark Matter in over 45 countries and 900 cinemas. Pearl Jam – Dark Matter – Global Theatrical Experience – One Night Only was an immense success with many cinemas sold out and offering encore screenings of the experience.

Dark Matter album packaging features light painting art by Alexandr Gnezdilov. Light painting is an artistic form of photography where images are created by adjusting a camera’s exposure for an extended period and using a light source, such as a flashlight, to “paint” in the dark. The album cover art was crafted using a large self-made kaleidoscope. Each letter visible on the cover was individually captured and handwritten midair with a specially designed flashlight to create the pearlescent effect. See more info on Alexandr Gnezdilov below.

Dark Matter Tracklist

1. Scared of Fear
2. React, Respond
3. Wreckage
4. Dark Matter
5. Won’t Tell
6. Upper Hand
7. Waiting for Stevie
8. Running
9. Something Special
10. Got to Give
11. Setting Sun

Dark Matter World Tour 2024

In support of Dark Matter, Pearl Jam will head out on a world tour this year, marking the first time the band has announced a new album and tour simultaneously and first time the group has unveiled all worldwide tour dates at once. Their global tour, hitting nine countries and 25 cities, kicks off at Rogers Arena in Vancouver, British Columbia, and will cover much of North America including shows at Wrigley Field, Madison Square Garden, Fenway Park, and their first hometown performance in six years at Seattle’s Climate Pledge Arena, the world’s first net zero certified arena.

The tour continues with performances in the UK and Europe, including their first performance at London’s brand new and state-of-the-art Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, through September, followed by the group’s long-awaited ten-year return to New Zealand and Australia this November. Full routing below.

Special guests Deep Sea Diver (North America Leg 1), Glen Hansard (North America Leg 2), The Murder Capital (UK/EU), Richard Ashcroft (Dublin and London) and Pixies (Australia and New Zealand) will serve as support for these dates. View all dates via the link below.

About Pearl Jam

Pearl Jam is an alternative rock band formed in Seattle, Washington in 1990. The band’s lineup consists of bassist Jeff Ament, rhythm guitarist Stone Gossard, lead guitarist Mike McCready, lead singer/guitarist Eddie Vedder and drummer Matt Cameron. Thirty plus years of live performances, twelve studio albums and hundreds of official live concert bootleg releases later, Pearl Jam continues to be critically acclaimed and commercially successful. The band has sold over 85 million albums worldwide and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2017.

Since the earliest days, Pearl Jam has used its platform to elevate people and causes that often go unnoticed or underserved. Much of the band’s philanthropic work is accomplished through its Vitalogy Foundation which to date has raised more than $50 million for organizations supporting issues such as abortion access, climate change and homelessness, and drawing attention to the fight against diseases such as Crohn’s and ulcerative colitis and epidermolysis bullosa (EB). In addition to the money Vitalogy donates, the band also donates signed instruments, posters and merchandise to organizations to use for their own fundraising purposes. Compounding the impact of Vitalogy Foundation, the band has supported Jeff Ament’s Montana Pool Service building skate parks in Montana and South Dakota. Pearl Jam also lends its voice to notable causes like the West Memphis 3, voting rights and fair ticketing practices. Over the past three decades, the band has a long history of standing up for what it believes in and putting its resources behind those beliefs.

Through its innovative Ten Club and fan engagement, community building, coveted poster designs, and longstanding activism and philanthropy, Pearl Jam continues to have a lasting impact on generations of music lovers.

About Andrew Watt

The name Andrew Watt in recent years has become synonymous with one very true phrase: the music industry’s not-so-secret weapon. Since 2015, the multi-GRAMMY-winning and platinum-selling music producer has been a hit-making machine, having collaborated with some of the last decade’s most exciting, and ground-breaking artists, including including Justin Bieber, Ozzy Osbourne, Cardi B., Post Malone, Dua Lipa, Metallica, Stevie Wonder, Miley Cyrus, Bruno Mars, Shawn Mendes, Elton John, Lana Del Rey, Mick Jagger, Brandi Carlile, Paul McCartney, Smokey Robinson and Lady Gaga, to name a few. In 2021, Watt took home his first GRAMMY Award for “Producer of the Year” at the 63rd annual GRAMMY Awards for his work on Ozzy Osbourne’s Ordinary Man, Miley Cyrus’ Plastic Hearts, both of which he executive-produced, Dua Lipa’s Future Nostalgia, which took home the GRAMMY that year for Best Pop Vocal Album, and Post Malone’s Hollywood’s Bleeding, which was nominated for Album of the Year. The following year saw Watt produce the widely publicized and critically acclaimed Elton John and Britney Spears collaboration “Hold Me Closer,” the entirety of Eddie Vedder’s solo release Earthling, and Ozzy Osbourne’s GRAMMY Award winning Patient Number 9, which earned Watt his second GRAMMY win for “Best Metal Album” at the 65th GRAMMY Awards. 2023 was also a stellar year for Watt, kicking off the top of the year with the release of Iggy Pop’s long-awaited 19th studio album, Every Loser, released via an exclusive partnership between Atlantic Records and Watt’s own Gold Tooth Records. This past summer also saw a slew of high profile and record-breaking releases on which Watt is credited as co-writer and co-producer, including; The Kid LAROI’s single “Forever and Again” which was released as part of the Barbie movie soundtrack, and Jungkook’s “Seven,” which debuted at #1 on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart and amassed a record-breaking 217.1 million streams and 269,000 downloads in just its first week of release. Watt ended the year with the release of “Hackney Diamonds,” The Rolling Stones’ first album of original music in 18 years, which was fully produced by Watt. The album’s lead single “Angry” earned Watt a GRAMMY Nomination for “Best Rock Song” for his work co-writing and producing the track.

About Alexandr Gnezdilov

Alexandr Gnezdilov created the light photography art for the cover of Pearl Jam’s Dark Matter single and album along with the featured lettering. His work is also utilized throughout the Dark Matter campaign. His interest in photography began at an early age in Moldova where he spent his childhood before expanding to explore long exposure and light painting techniques after moving to Germany in 2001.

Alexandr created the cover of Dark Matter using a large self-made kaleidoscope with each letter visible on the cover individually captured, handwritten midair with a specially designed flashlight to create the pearlescent effect. His artwork has been featured in multiple exhibitions including collaborations with the State Theatre of Nuremberg and has been licensed for the past decade for articles, news and commercials.

Gnezdilov lives in Nuremberg, Germany with his wife and two sons and works primarily as a software engineer. When not working, Alexandr’s other passions include music, and he recently released his debut album Space Wire with his band “Pulsar Clock.”

About Abramorama

Abramorama is a leading innovator in worldwide event cinema, theatrical distribution, marketing and sales for nonfiction and music films. For more than 20 years Abramorama has provided strategic services to Intellectual Property owners including filmmakers, networks, record labels, platforms and artists including The Beatles, Dolly Parton, Led Zeppelin, Pearl Jam, Metallica, Neil Young, Melanie Martinez, Laurie Anderson, Jimi Hendrix, Green Day, National Geographic, AARP, Apple, Amazon, HBO, Hulu, Universal Music Group, Atlantic Records, Warner Music Group, and Sony, among others. Abramorama is expert at maximizing reach, engagement, and Impact ROI for films created for target audiences. Abramorama creates a unique distribution and audience development plan for each title, engaging a global network of cinemas, digital media outlets, and marketing partners. For more information, visit abramorama.com.