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.

As a songwriter it's kind of hard to listen to your own stuff with clarity.

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 liked the banana-seat bikes with the high handlebars - maybe a card in the wheel could have been part of it.

Dave played an important part in our growing, but change occurs.

We may take breaks and do other things, but we feel we'll ultimately have Pearl Jam as a family.

I picked up a guitar, and I knew what I wanted to do.