Matt Cameron
Matt Cameron Releases Debut Solo LP ‘Cavedweller’
On Friday, Matt Cameron premiered his first solo LP entitled Cavedweller. The album was recorded at Matt’s house, the Bunker Studio in Brooklyn, and the Bait Shop in Seattle. The LP and limited edition vinyl are available through the Dine Alone Store; customers will receive a randomly selected coloured vinyl.
Prior to Matt’s induction to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame for his drumming in two of history’s most impactful rock bands, he cut a handful of solo songs on Seattle cassette compilations in the 1980’s, under the name Cavedweller. Having recently relocated from his native San Diego, he introduced himself to the seminal scene, where he would eventually become a cornerstone member. So it feels apropos that the singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and world-renowned drummer would adopt Cavedweller as the title of his 2017 solo debut.
“I thought it would be cool to use that name again three decades later,” Matt said about Cavedweller. “I’ve been writing my own songs since I was 17 years old. I always enjoyed playing guitar and trying to cultivate my voice as a songwriter. However, I’ve been lucky to play in bands with the best singers and lyricists of my generation; my voice was never necessarily needed in them.”
Matt’s musical contributions to acts like Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, Wellwater Conspiracy, Temple of the Dog and Hater speak to his talent as a drummer, but Cavedweller was his opportunity to rock from behind the kit and showcase his talents on other areas of the album. His credits do include drums and bass on a couple of tracks, but he also sang vocals, played guitar, and wrote and produced Cavedweller in its entirety. “With this album, I wanted to really make my vocals and guitar playing come through. It’s almost like I tried to start a solo career 30 years ago, and I’m just now getting back to it.”
Matt assembled an all-star cast of friends to bring Cavedweller to life, including Bowie’s ★ drummer Mark Giuliana and the album’s bassist Tim Lefebvre. Although it’s a throwback project with new life breathed into it, we can’t help but use it as an example of how the online music community is changing the game when it comes to awesome artist collaborations. Talking to Rolling Stone, Matt said that it was actually social media that brought them together after he had listened to ★ : “Mark’s performance on the title track was kind of mind-blowing. That was kind of what I was hearing for a drum performance, so I just reached out through Instagram or Facebook and he got right back to me. Once he was on board I had a little more confidence to complete the project.”
Cavedweller is available now. You can buy the digital album here, and listen in full on Spotify or Apple Music.