Pearl Jam frontman Eddie Vedder admits he sees similarities between Taylor Swift’s fans and the punk rock communities of his youth.
It was one of Vedder's daughters who convinced the rocker to attend a Swift concert. The Pearl Jam singer was immediately impressed by the communal atmosphere surrounding the show.
“The run-up to it, making friendship bracelets with her and the generosity of these young girls and boys, trading these bracelets with different messages on them – lyrics, song titles, just acts of goodwill on these little bracelets,” Vedder explained during an interview with Mojo. “They had found their tribe; they were all agreeing on something.”
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Though the musical style was totally different, Vedder saw a distinct similarity between the Swifties and another sect of musical fandom.
“The craziest thing,” the singer noted, “was it reminded me of punk rock crowds, of being aligned with all of the misfits in our town, back in the day. It was galvanizing and powerful.”
Pearl Jam’s twelfth studio album, Dark Matter, arrives April 19. Much of the LP was recorded at Shangri-La, a studio in Malibu, California originally built by the Band.
The location had special meaning to Vedder, who felt like he was “tapping into a sacred space” during the sessions.
“I can’t tell you how much it meant to be in that spot,” Vedder explained to Mojo, noting his love of the Band. “It was like mining energy in a safe place.”
