Matt Cameron

Matt Cameron

Matthew David Cameron (born November 28, 1962 in San Diego, California) is an American musician who serves as the drummer for the American rock band Pearl Jam. After getting his start with the Seattle, Washington-based rock band Skin Yard, he first gained notoriety as the drummer for the grunge rock band Soundgarden, which he joined in 1986 and remained in until the band's break-up in 1997, triggered by creative friction. In 1998, Cameron was invited to drum on Pearl Jam's U.S. Yield Tour. He soon became a permanent member and has remained in the band ever since. Additionally, Cameron has served as the drummer for the side project bands Hater and Wellwater Conspiracy, also acting as the lead singer for the latter.

Biography

Early life

Matt Cameron was born and raised in San Diego, California. Cameron began playing drums at an early age. At the age of thirteen, he and some friends played in a cover band called "Kiss" (with the word imitation written underneath the name, in small print). During this stint, he met Paul Stanley. However, after a letter from the management of the band Kiss threatened the children with legal action if they did not cease their infringement, the band melted away.

Cameron attended Bonita Vista High School. In 1978, under the pseudonym "Foo Cameron", Cameron sang the song "Puberty Love" which was featured in the movie Attack of the Killer Tomatoes. The nickname "Foo" came from Cameron's younger brother, who pronounced Matthew as "Ma Foo".

Skin Yard

Main article: Skin Yard

In 1983, Cameron moved to Seattle, Washington, where he got a job working at a Kinko's. He first played in the local instrumental band feeDBack with musician Daniel House. Following feeDBack, Cameron joined House in 1985 in the newly formed Skin Yard. The band had been formed in January 1985 by House and Jack Endino. Cameron stayed with the group for almost a year. In 1986, Skin Yard contributed two songs to the now-legendary Deep Six compilation. This album was the first to showcase the early grunge sound. The band released its first album in 1986, the eponymous Skin Yard. Cameron wrote the song "Reptile" for the band which appears on its first record. (More of Cameron's work with Skin Yard can be found on the 2001 rarities compilation, Start at the Top.) Shortly after the release of Skin Yard, Cameron left the band, later joining Soundgarden.

Soundgarden

Main article: Soundgarden

By September 1986, Cameron had gained so much notoriety in the local music scene that he was chosen to play for Soundgarden, replacing drummer Scott Sundquist. Soundgarden was made up of vocalist/guitarist Chris Cornell, guitarist Kim Thayil, and bassist Hiro Yamamoto. Cornell said, "When I first met Matt, he was already the best drummer in town...He just seemed very confident and well-adjusted." The band signed with the independent label Sub Pop and released the Screaming Life EP in 1987 and the Fopp EP in 1988. In 1988, the band signed with legendary punk record label SST Records and released its debut full-length album Ultramega OK. The album earned the band its first major award nomination, a Grammy Award, in 1990. The band subsequently signed with A&M Records, becoming the first grunge band to sign to a major label. In 1989, the band released its first album for a major label, Louder Than Love. Following the release of Louder Than Love, Yamamoto left the band to finish his Master's degree in Physical Chemistry at Western Washington University. He was replaced by former Nirvana guitarist Jason Everman. Everman was fired following Soundgarden's tour supporting Louder Than Love.

In 1990, the band was joined by a new bassist, Ben Shepherd. The new line-up released Badmotorfinger in 1991. The album brought the band to a new level of commercial success, and the band found itself amidst the sudden popularity and attention given to the Seattle music scene and the genre known as grunge. Badmotorfinger was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Metal Performance in 1992. The band's next album was to be its breakthrough. Superunknown, released in 1994, debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 and launched several successful singles, including "Spoonman" and "Black Hole Sun". The album was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Rock Album in 1995. Two singles from Superunknown, "Black Hole Sun" and "Spoonman", won Grammy Awards, and the music video for "Black Hole Sun" won a MTV Video Music Award and a Clio Award. Superunknown was ranked number 336 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time, and "Black Hole Sun" was ranked number 25 on VH1's list of the 100 greatest songs of the '90s. In 1996, the band released its fifth studio album, Down on the Upside; while successful, the album could not emulate the precedent set by Superunknown. Tensions within the group arose during the Down on the Upside sessions, with Thayil and Cornell reportedly clashing over Cornell's desire to shift away from the heavy guitar riffing that had become the band's trademark. In 1997, Soundgarden received another Grammy nomination, for the lead single "Pretty Noose". In 1997, the band broke up due to internal strife over its creative direction. In a 1998 interview, Thayil said, "It was pretty obvious from everybody's general attitude over the course of the previous half year that there was some dissatisfaction." Cameron later said that Soundgarden was "eaten up by the business."

While a member of Soundgarden, Cameron wrote the following songs for the band:

• "He Didn’t" (Ultramega OK) ... music
• "Jesus Christ Pose" (Badmotorfinger) ... music (co-written)
• "Room a Thousand Years Wide" (Badmotorfinger) ... music
• "Drawing Flies" (Badmotorfinger) ... music
• "New Damage" (Badmotorfinger) ... music (co-written)
• "Birth Ritual" (Singles soundtrack) ... music (co-written)
• "Exit Stonehenge" ("Spoonman" single) ... music (co-written)
• "Mailman" (Superunknown) ... music, and played mellotron
• "Limo Wreck" (Superunknown) ... music (co-written)
• "Fresh Tendrils" (Superunknown) ... lyrics (co-written) and music
• "Jerry Garcia's Finger" (Songs from the Superunknown) ... music (co-written)
• "Rhinosaur" (Down on the Upside) ... music
• "Applebite" (Down on the Upside) ... music, and played Moog synthesizer
• "A Splice of Space Jam" ("Blow Up the Outside World" single) ... music (co-written)

The task of figuring out the time signatures for Soundgarden's songs was usually left to Cameron. Regarding his drumming with Soundgarden, Modern Drummer stated that Cameron "always injected a maturity into Soundgarden's music. His ghost-note grooves and the uncanny ability to make odd time feel like straight time have already earned him status among rock's drumming's elite pacemakers."

Pearl Jam

Main article: Pearl Jam

Almost a year after Soundgarden's break-up, in summer 1998, Cameron was invited by rock-colleagues Pearl Jam to drum on its U.S. Yield Tour after the band's drummer Jack Irons left due to health issues. Cameron had worked with members of the band before on the Temple of the Dog project and had helped them record some early instrumental demos in 1990. Cameron said, "I got a phone call out of the blue, from Mr. Ed Ved, Stoney and Kelly. I was ambushed. It was really short notice. He called and said 'hey what are you doing this summer?'" Guitarist Mike McCready said, "We knew him from being around the same scene and seeing him on tour. It had a lot to do with it. We knew he was a normal cat too, a normal guy." Cameron learned over 80 songs in two weeks. He was hired on an initially temporary basis, but soon, during the tour, he was invited to become a full-time member. Cameron stated, "The guys made me feel real welcome and it wasn't a struggle to get it musically, but my style was a little bit different, I think, than what they were used to. And they've been through so many different drummers, I don't even know if they knew what they wanted. So, I just kind of played the way I played and then eventually we kind of figured out what worked best for the band."

Cameron has since become the longest serving drummer of the band. McCready stated that Cameron has made Pearl Jam "into a way better band." In 1998, Pearl Jam, with Cameron on drums, recorded "Last Kiss", a cover of a 1960s ballad made famous by J. Frank Wilson and the Cavaliers. It was released on the band's 1998 fan club Christmas single; however, by popular demand, the cover was released to the public as a single in 1999. "Last Kiss" peaked at number two on the Billboard charts and became the band's highest-charting single. In 2000, the band released its sixth studio album, Binaural, and initiated a successful and ongoing series of official bootlegs. The band released seventy-two such live albums in 2000 and 2001, and set a record for most albums to debut in the Billboard 200 at the same time. "Grievance" (from Binaural) received a Grammy nomination for Best Hard Rock Performance. The band released its seventh studio album, Riot Act, in 2002. Pearl Jam's contribution to the 2003 film, Big Fish, "Man of the Hour", was nominated for a Golden Globe Award in 2004. The band's eighth studio album, the eponymous Pearl Jam, was released in 2006. The band released its ninth studio album, Backspacer, in 2009.

Since joining Pearl Jam, Cameron has written the following songs for the band:

• "Evacuation" (Binaural) ... music
• "Save You" (Riot Act) ... music (co-written)
• "Cropduster" (Riot Act) ... music
• "You Are" (Riot Act) ... lyrics (co-written), music, and played rhythm guitar
• "Get Right" (Riot Act) ... lyrics and music
• "In the Moonlight" (Lost Dogs) ... lyrics and music
• "Unemployable" (Pearl Jam) ... music (co-written)
• "The Fixer" (Backspacer) ... music (co-written)
• "Johnny Guitar" (Backspacer) ... music (co-written)

While not as frequent as the other members' written contributions, Cameron's are held in high regard by the band, as are his performances. In the liner notes of the 2003 Lost Dogs compilation, Pearl Jam vocalist Eddie Vedder says:

Matt Cameron writes songs and we run to find step stools in order to reach his level,...what comes naturally to him leaves us with our heads cocked like the confused dogs that we are,...eventually getting it. Did we mention he's the greatest drummer on the planet?

Other musical projects

Along with Cornell, Stone Gossard, Jeff Ament, McCready, and Vedder, Cameron appeared on the 1991 Temple of the Dog album. The album paid tribute to Mother Love Bone vocalist Andrew Wood, who died of a heroin overdose at age 24.

He has played in two jazz-influenced side projects: Tone Dogs in the early 1990s, and Harrybu McCage, which formed in 2008. Cameron also has a fondness for psychedelic garage rock, and his side projects Hater and Wellwater Conspiracy reflect this. Cameron formed Hater in 1993 with Soundgarden bassist Ben Shepherd. The band released a self-titled album in 1993 and recorded a second album in 1995 following Soundgarden's Superunknown tour. The band's second album, The 2nd, would not see release until 2005. Cameron founded Wellwater Conspiracy with Shepherd and guitarist John McBain. The band's debut album, Declaration of Conformity, was released in 1997. Following Shepherd's departure from the band in 1998, Cameron took over lead vocal duties for the band. Cameron and McBain maintained the group after Cameron joined Pearl Jam, and a further three Wellwater Conspiracy albums were released following the band's debut album (Brotherhood of Electric: Operational Directives (1999), The Scroll and Its Combinations (2001), and Wellwater Conspiracy (2003)).

Cameron appears on the Gamma Ray EP which would become the first recorded material by Queens of the Stone Age. Cameron played drums at the band's first show on November 20, 1997 at the OK Hotel in Seattle, however he did not join the band as its drummer.

Cameron contributed his drumming on seven tracks considered for The Smashing Pumpkins' 1998 album, Adore, though only the epic and highly acclaimed "For Martha" appeared on the album. Another studio track, "Because You Are", surfaced on the 2001 B-sides and rarities collection, Judas Ø. Rumors circulated in the beginning of 1998 that he was considered as a permanent drummer replacement for Jimmy Chamberlin, but Cameron denied this.

Other drumming contributions by Cameron include four tracks on Eleven's 1995 album, Thunk, the track "Disappearing One" on former bandmate Chris Cornell's 1999 solo album, Euphoria Morning, and Geddy Lee's 2000 solo album, My Favorite Headache.

Cameron has enjoyed a friendship with fellow drummer Jeremy Taggart of Canadian rock group Our Lady Peace. When Taggart was sidelined with an ankle injury during the recording of that group's 2000 album, Spiritual Machines, Cameron played drums on songs such as "Right Behind You (Mafia)" and "Are You Sad?". Cameron contributed to the soundtrack for the 2002 film, Spider-Man, playing on "Hero" with Chad Kroeger and Josey Scott. As Cameron was unable to attend the shoot, Jeremy Taggart returned the favor and is shown in Cameron's place in the video.

Cameron, along with fellow Pearl Jam bandmate Mike McCready, contributed two songs to Peter Frampton's instrumental album, Fingerprints (2006). These include a cover of Soundgarden's "Black Hole Sun" and "Blowin' Smoke".

Cameron has lent his talents to Submersible Music's DrumCore software.

Musical style and influences

Cameron was described by Greg Prato of Allmusic as "unquestionably one of rock's finest and most versatile drummers." Cameron's style is one that seeks not to dominate a song but rather tease out a groove that will complement and support its atmosphere. Despite a career in rock music, Cameron stated in a 1989 radio interview that growing up he "wasn't a big rock fan..." and that his musical tastes during his youth were "more into jazz." Cameron has professed that his primary musical interests lie in progressive rock and various jazz subgenres, including hard bop, both of which are characterized by a much busier playing style than Cameron exhibits. Cameron has cited Tony Williams, Keith Moon, Steve Gadd, Stewart Copeland, and Kiss as influences.

Cameron tends to revisit the paradiddle for effect. Examples include the spreading of the RLRR-LRLL pattern amongst the toms on Soundgarden's "Never the Machine Forever" (from Down on the Upside); between ride and snare on "Unemployable" (from Pearl Jam), creating a driving shuffle; and "You Are" (from Riot Act). This pattern can also be heard on the ride cymbal during the bridge of "Bleed Together" (from the "Burden in My Hand" single).

Equipment

Unlike his contemporaries Dave Abbruzzese (Pearl Jam), Jimmy Chamberlin (The Smashing Pumpkins), and Sean Kinney (Alice in Chains), who each have extensive drumkits, Cameron, although far from static, employs a more traditional approach to drum equipment.

Throughout the 1990s, Cameron favored three crashes (generally matching 19" Zildjian Z customs), a ride of 20 or 21 inches, and 15" hihats. Before 1996's Down on the Upside, a China cymbal was used infrequently, most notably on Superunknown's closing track "Like Suicide". Even after becoming a full-time member of Pearl Jam upon drummer Jack Irons' departure for health reasons, Cameron's cymbal setup has not changed radically from his Soundgarden days. Currently, the most noticeable difference is his use of the A Zildjian series as opposed to the heavier Z series.

Cameron used California-based Drum Workshop drums during the majority of his time with Soundgarden. Cameron revealed in a 1994 interview with Modern Drummer magazine that to greater emphasize the dynamic shift in the aforementioned "Like Suicide", two kits were used, the latter having shells both larger in depth and diameter. Along with fellow Northwesterner William Goldsmith (Sunny Day Real Estate and Foo Fighters), Cameron was an early supporter of drummer and craftsman Gregg Keplinger, famous for perhaps the heaviest and most characteristic steel snare drum on today's market. During the recording of 1996's Down on the Upside, and the album's subsequent tour, he was endorsed by the Canadian custom outfit Ayotte, of which cohort Jeremy Taggart (Our Lady Peace) is a long-time artist.

Initially during Pearl Jam's U.S. Yield Tour Cameron could be seen using his purple Ayotte kit, the very same employed on Soundgarden's Saturday Night Live performances of "Pretty Noose" and "Burden in My Hand" (during which the bass drum read "Go Sonics!", a reference to the Seattle basketball team). Cameron's subsequent time with Pearl Jam is notable for his shift away from maple-shelled drums, arguably the most popular drum material in the rock market for its low fundamental tone and strong projection. He opted instead for the Yamaha Birch Custom Absolute, which is higher-pitched than maple and produces fewer overtones. In 2009, he began to use yet another type of wood, the Yamaha Oak Custom.

Cameron, along with fellow contemporary drummer Jimmy Chamberlin, is endorsed by Vic Firth drumsticks and has a signature model available. They are most similar to a 5B.

Personal life

Cameron and his wife, April Acevez, are the parents of two children, son Ray and daughter Josie. The couple currently resides near Seattle, Washington. His wife April has contributed viola to Soundgarden's Superunknown, Wellwater Conspiracy's Brotherhood of Electric: Operational Directives and The Scroll and Its Combinations, and Pearl Jam's Binaural.

Discography

Skin Yard discography

Year	Title	Label	Track(s)
1986	Deep Six	C/Z	"Throb" and "The Birds"
	Skin Yard	Cruz	All except "Bleed" and "Out of the Attic"
2001	Start at the Top	Cruz	"Twelve Points" and "Make Room"

Soundgarden discography

Main article: Soundgarden discography

Tone Dogs discography

Year	Title	Label
1990	Ankety Low Day	C/Z

Temple of the Dog discography

Year	Title	Label
1991	Temple of the Dog	A&M

Hater discography

Year	Title	Label	Track(s)
1993	Hater	A&M	All
1995	Hempilation: Freedom Is NORML	Volcano	"Convicted"
2005	The 2nd	Barsuk	All

Wellwater Conspiracy discography

Year	Title	Label	Track(s)
1995	Succour: The Terrascope Benefit Album	Flydaddy	"Far Side of Your Moon"
1997	Declaration of Conformity	Third Gear	All
1999	Brotherhood of Electric: Operational Directives	Time Bomb	All
2001	The Scroll and Its Combinations	TVT	All
2003	Wellwater Conspiracy	Megaforce	All

Pearl Jam discography

Year	Title	Label	Track(s)
1998	Live on Two Legs	Epic	All
1999	No Boundaries: A Benefit for the Kosovar Refugees	Epic	"Last Kiss" and "Soldier of Love (Lay Down Your Arms)"
2000	Binaural	Epic	All except "Soon Forget"
	2000 European Official Bootlegs	Epic	All
2001	2000 North American Official Bootlegs, Volume 1	Epic	All
	2000 North American Official Bootlegs, Volume 2	Epic	All
	Substitute: Songs from the Who	Edel America	"The Kids Are Alright" (live)
2002	Riot Act	Epic	All except "Arc"
2003	2003 Official Bootlegs (Australia, Japan, and North America)	Epic	All
	Lost Dogs	Epic	"Sad", "Down", "Hitchhiker", "In the Moonlight", "Education", "U", "Undone", "Fatal", "Other Side", "Last Kiss", and "Sweet Lew"
	Big Fish: Music from the Motion Picture	Sony	"Man of the Hour"
2004	Hot Stove, Cool Music, Vol. 1	Fenway	"Bu$hleaguer" (live)
	Live at Benaroya Hall	BMG	All
	For the Lady	Rhino/WEA	"Better Man" (live)
	rearviewmirror (Greatest Hits 1991–2003)	Epic	"Save You", "Last Kiss", "Nothing as It Seems", "Light Years", "I Am Mine", and "Man of the Hour"
2005	2005 Official Bootlegs (North America and South America)	Ten Club	All
2006	Pearl Jam	J	All except "Wasted Reprise"
	2006 Official Bootlegs (North America, Europe, and Australia)	Ten Club	All
	Live at Easy Street	J	All
2007	Surf's Up: Music from the Motion Picture	Sony	"Big Wave"
	Live at the Gorge 05/06	Rhino/WEA	All
	Live at Lollapalooza 2007	Self-released	All
2008	2008 United States Official Bootlegs	Kufala	All
2009	Backspacer	Monkeywrench (US), Universal Music Group (international)	All

Harrybu McCage discography

Year	Title	Label
2008	Harrybu McCage	Monkeywrench

Contributions and collaborations

Year	Group	Title	Label	Track(s)
1993	M.A.C.C. (Mike McCready, Jeff Ament, Matt Cameron, and Chris Cornell)	Stone Free: A Tribute to Jimi Hendrix	Reprise/WEA	"Hey Baby (Land of the New Rising Sun)"
1995	Eleven	Thunk	Hollywood	"Why", "Seasick of You", "Big Sleep", and "No Ground"
	Seaweed	Spanaway	Hollywood	"Magic Mountainman"
1996	Kristen Barry	Home Alive: The Art of Self Defense	Epic	"Joyride"
1997	The Prodigy	The Fat of the Land	XL	Unknown
	Matt Cameron and Taz Bentley	Flyin' Traps: Stereo Drums	Hollywood	"Theme From Wrong Holy-O"
1998	Stegosaurus	Stegosaurus	Reprise	"Not Defeat Myself", "Candy", and "At the Water"
	The Smashing Pumpkins	Adore	Virgin	"For Martha"
1999	Amy Denio	Greatest Hits	Unit Circle	"(When George Bush Was Head Of The) C.I.A.", "Secret Crush", "Brave It", and "Traffic Island Psycho"
	Chris Cornell	Euphoria Morning	Interscope	"Disappearing One"
2000	Tony Iommi	Iommi	Divine/Priority	"Time Is Mine", "Flame On", "Just Say No to Love", and "Into the Night"
	Geddy Lee	My Favorite Headache	Atlantic	All except "Home on the Strange"
2001	Our Lady Peace	Spiritual Machines	Columbia	"Right Behind You (Mafia)" and "Are You Sad?"
	The Smashing Pumpkins	Judas Ø	Virgin	"Because You Are"
2002	The Walkabouts	Ended Up a Stranger	Interstate	-
	Aya	Senjou no Hana	BMG	All
	Chad Kroeger featuring Josey Scott	Spider-Man: Music from and Inspired By	Sony	"Hero"
	Burden Brothers	Queen O' Spades	Last Beat	"Walk Away"
2006	Peter Frampton	Fingerprints	A&M	"Black Hole Sun" and "Blowin' Smoke"
2008	The Bergevin Brothers	Seven Songs for America and One for the World	Bergevin Brothers Music	All

External links

• Pearl Jam official website
• Wellwater Conspiracy official website
• Matt Cameron at Drummerworld
• Cameron Matt Cameron at AllMusic
• Matt Cameron at IMDb