I just know that I love to write songs, and I have for a long time.

A significant event for me was learning Hank Williams, reconnecting with his music's simplicity, which inspired me to inhabit the same territory. It's different, because I grew up on Led Zeppelin, The Stooges and punk, so in that sense I'm mutating country and folk more than a few degrees.

Call it holistic or holographic thinking, it's been quite effective imagining the world's problems are all right in front of you on a smaller scale with your band. You deal with those relationships, and that's where real major change begins.

We’re super fortunate in Pearl Jam to have such loyal fans...who really want to come & see us play.

Every year is filled with good times and fights and struggles and misunderstandings. All of it adds up to being in a band over a long time.

I like myself. I think I'm cool. But I think when you're in a band you take on a role within the band, and I think people over the course of years can identify those roles as almost being bigger than just the individual. I don't know. It's kind of hard to talk about.

It may take me a long time before I feel 'ready' to tour as a lead singer. I may never be ready... we'll just have to see.