Grunge legends Pearl Jam have officially locked in a brand-new drummer, but fans will have to wait a few more months to discover their identity. The highly coveted position was left vacant last summer following the amicable departure of Matt Cameron, who exited the veteran Seattle group in July 2025 after an incredible 27-year tenure.
Speaking with Billboard in September last year, Cameron detailed his decision to move on. He cited the immense physical demands of Pearl Jam‘s marathon live shows as a primary factor.
“I was having some issues with [Pearl Jam’s] three-hour shows and constant touring and stuff,” he said at the time. “That’s definitely an art form unto itself, to be able to do those types of shows… I’m at a point now where I want to do a face-melting 70-minute set, and that’s kind of what I’m focusing on right now.”
“I definitely gave them a lot of notice,” he explained. “I’ve spoken with Jeff [Ament] and Stone [Gossard] a little bit… It’s been fine. Hopefully we’ll get back together at some point and have a beer or something.”
According to Spin, guitarist Stone Gossard confirmed this week during an interview on SiriusXM‘s Pearl Jam channel that a permanent replacement has already been chosen. However, the band has collectively decided to hold off on any grand announcements, choosing instead to unveil the new lineup when they make their highly anticipated live return on September 27 at the 10th annual Ohana Festival in Dana Point, California.
Reflecting on the band’s deliberate choice to keep the identity under wraps, Gossard explained the allure of the unknown:
“I love the mystery of it all. It’s so exciting. There’s not enough mystery in the world. I think the band is very excited that we’re actually getting to play. It’s been a while and the fact that we get to do it at Ohana makes it even doubly exciting. And the fact that nobody knows who’s going to play drums with us even makes it triply exciting. So, it’s our mystery wrapped in an enigma and we’re relishing in it right now.”
The upcoming performance will mark the band’s first show without the former Soundgarden drummer behind the kit in nearly three decades. Matt Cameron‘s history with the group stretches all the way back to their origins in 1990, when he played on some of Gossard‘s earliest instrumental demos before officially joining the full-time roster in 1998.
Addressing the massive gap left by his departure and the immense challenge of moving forward, the guitarist offered nothing but praise and respect for his longtime bandmate.
“Matt Cameron has always come at things with an openness to all the people in the room and with grace and love for this process. His playing speaks for itself. Matt’s always going to be our brother.”
“He was ready for a shift and ready for a change,” he continued. “God bless him, and we love Matt always. But I think it’s also going to be good for us to in a sense of letting that unknown enter into the equation again [and] giving us a chance to to regroup and try to still be good. That’s a cool challenge. Where do you go after Matt Cameron? It’s a big question, and he always served the music [in an] outstanding [way]. He always played with power and with energy, and it’ll be a tough task to figure that out. But I’m confident that we’re going to be able to do it.”
While the rumor mill surrounding the new drummer is in overdrive, one historical candidate has already ruled himself out. Dave Krusen, the original Pearl Jam drummer who played on their diamond-certified 1991 debut album, Ten, and was inducted alongside the band into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2017, recently shut down online speculation. Responding directly to a fan’s question on Instagram regarding a potential return to the throne, he stated simply: “no, they have a new drummer already.”
As the band prepares to exit their year-long hiatus from the stage, the individual members have remained creatively active. Gossard detailed his personal routine as he gears up for the new chapter:
“I’ve actually been playing more guitar than I have in a long time, which is great. It’s part of my daily routine [to] pick it up, mess around [and] play along with some stuff just to keep my fingers nimble. But [I’m] also spending a lot of time in the studio making demos, trying different things [and] dreaming about what Ed might like and where could we go that would be fun? I think everyone in the band has done the same thing. So, everyone’s itching to play.”
The monumental reveal will take place during the closing night of the 10th anniversary Ohana Festival at Doheny State Beach. The massive weekend event, spearheaded by frontman Eddie Vedder, will feature headlining performances by the singer himself, alongside Tyler Childers, and an extensive undercard that includes Maná, Billy Idol, Bad Religion, Pixies, Fontaines D.C., and bassist Jeff Ament‘s side project, P.E.S.T.
