Lightning Bolt, the tenth studio album from legendary Seattle rockers Pearl Jam, is set for release in early October, but the band have provided a brief glimpse into its creation with a nine minute long film.
Directed by Danny Clinch, the film features a number of the band’s close friends interviewing them about Lightning Bolt, including Portlandia star Carrie Brownstein (also of Sleater-Kinney and Wild Flag fame), film director Judd Apatow, former NFL player Steve Gleason and even Australian surfing legend Mark Richards.
Fans will hear snippets of new tracks Sirens, Mind Your Manners and title track Lightning Bolt throughout the video, proving that the band’s 2013 offering will be packed full of hard rock energy. Remember, this is the album which might convert some people into Pearl Jam fans.
In the film, Gleason draws high-pitched laughs from the band when he posits that the five year gap between Lightning Bolt and 2009’s Backspacer is the longest gap between two albums, and then follows it with an open-ended “What the f—?”
Jeff Ament goes on to say, “It’s good to wait until we do feel like we have something to say,” before frontman Eddie Vedder adds, “If you’re paying attention to the planet, I can find something to be angry about pretty quick.”
Vedder goes on to compare his songwriting process to surfing, stating that “the wave is the song and the words are the board”. He explains that songwriting is easy once you’re on the wave, it’s just finding the right wave which takes time.
Pearl Jam will hit Australian shores in 2014 to headline the Big Day Out Festival in January/February alongside Arcade Fire and Blur.
Watch: Lightning Bolt, A Short Film by Danny Clinch
(Via Loudwire)