(L-R) Jeff Ament, Eddie Vedder and Anthony Mason.

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Pearl Jam is one of the world’s biggest, most respected rock groups. Now, in a rare extensive interview with Anthony Mason, Eddie Vedder and bass player Jeff Ament open up about the band’s founding, being together for nearly 35 years, their latest album and more for CBS NEWS SUNDAY MORNING, to be broadcast Sunday, Sept. 22 (9:00 AM, ET) on the CBS Television Network and streaming on Paramount+.

Mason caught up with them on tour in Missoula, Mont., for a revealing, personal look at Pearl Jam.

Here’s an excerpt of Vedder talking about writing lyrics while surfing to an instrumental tape sent to him by a group of Seattle musicians and bassist Jeff Ament’s reaction when he heard them.

EDDIE VEDDER: I was doin’ those midnight shifts security. So when I went for a surf in the morning … But I remember it bein’ super foggy and one of those days where you think, “Maybe I won’t go out” … So these waves were just kind of all of a sudden coming outta nowhere. And–but I had the music in my head, the instrumental, and, and just kind of wrote it. And then I was still wet when I hit record.

ANTHONY MASON: When you heard what he sent back, what did you think?

JEFF AMENT: I listened to it. And then I remember I–I left, and went and got a coffee, and then I came back, and I listened to it again. … And then I remember calling Stone [Gossard] and say–and I said, “You need to come over here right now.”

NARRATION: BASSIST JEFF AMENT AND GUITARISTS STONE GOSSARD AND MIKE MCCREADY FLEW VEDDER UP TO SEATTLE TO AUDITION.

VEDDER: It was, like, you felt it. Like, you–you were like, “Oh, this is what it is. This is what it is” … I was like, “This is heaven.”

In a wide-ranging interview, Vedder and Ament talk about their childhoods, making music together, their dedicated fan base, being on tour, growing older and their friendship.

CBS NEWS SUNDAY MORNING has been the #1 Sunday morning news program for 24 seasons. It is broadcast Sundays (9:00-10:30 AM, ET) on the CBS Television Network and streaming on Paramount+. Rand Morrison is the executive producer. 

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Richard Huff

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