Biography
One of the most adaptable and prominent percussionists to surface from Seattle's grunge era, Matt Cameron earned widespread recognition through his tenures in Soundgarden and Pearl Jam. Having played in the pioneering grunge unit Skin Yard during the closing years of the 1980s, he gained broader notice upon entering Soundgarden, where he supplied essential drumming to each of the band's six studio albums, among them the Billboard 200 Top 40 entry Badmotorfinger along with Superunknown, Down on the Upside, and King Animal. Following Soundgarden's dissolution in the late 1990s, he assumed the drum position in Pearl Jam, appearing on every release from Binaural in 2000 through Lightning Bolt in 2013. In addition to the one-off 1991 album by the supergroup Temple of the Dog, he contributed to several other endeavors, such as the jazz outfit Tone Dogs, the psychedelic venture Wellwater Conspiracy, and Drumgasm alongside Janet Weiss of Sleater-Kinney and Zach Hill of Death Grips. He rejoined Soundgarden in 2010 and stayed until the passing of vocalist Chris Cornell in 2017. That year he launched his solo endeavor Cavedweller, enlisting drummer Mark Guiliana and bassist Tim Lefebvre. Cameron rejoined Pearl Jam for Gigaton in 2020 and pursued further joint efforts, among them two albums by 3rd Secret, the supergroup he formed with Nirvana bassist Krist Novoselic, Soundgarden's Kim Thayil, and Void's Jon Dupree.
Matthew D. Cameron entered the world on November 28, 1962, in San Diego, California, began drumming at age nine, and supplied lead vocals for the track "Puberty Love" in the 1970s cult film Attack of the Killer Tomatoes. After settling in Seattle, Washington, during the early 1980s, he became part of Skin Yard and performed on their self-titled debut. By the 1987 release of that album he had already transferred to another rising Seattle act, Soundgarden. At a moment when the late-1980s heavy metal landscape consisted largely of either glossy glam metal or straightforward thrash metal, Soundgarden restored metal to its foundational Sabbath/Zeppelin origins while infusing it with punk intensity. The group issued several independent recordings—the EPs Screaming Life and Fopp on Sub Pop plus the full-length Ultramega OK on SST—and generated considerable interest within both metal and alternative circles.
A&M Records signed Soundgarden, which then delivered a succession of landmark albums—1989's Louder Than Love, 1991's Badmotorfinger, and 1994's Superunknown—that elevated the band to major rock status as one of the principal forces in the early-1990s "Seattle Explosion" alongside Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Alice in Chains, and others. Cameron also carved out time for appearances on assorted other artists' sessions and side projects, including Tone Dogs' Ankety Low Day, the self-titled debut by Temple of the Dog, Hater's self-titled debut, and Eleven's Thunk, while additionally providing drums for Pearl Jam's initial demos.
In a surprising move, Soundgarden disbanded in 1997 at the height of their commercial achievements, shortly after sharing a Lollapalooza bill and issuing their highest-selling album, Down on the Upside. Cameron remained active with Wellwater Conspiracy, a project that began as a side effort yet evolved into a primary commitment. Although the band, whose style blended lo-fi alt-rock with 1960s garage rock, psychedelia, and mod influences, recruited different musicians for its albums—Declaration of Conformity in 1997, Brotherhood of Electric in 1999, and The Scroll and Its Combinations in 2001—Cameron and former Monster Magnet guitarist John McBain formed its nucleus.
Meanwhile he stepped in for Pearl Jam when their drummer Jack Irons withdrew for health reasons, which led to multiple global tours and his appearance on the 2000 album Binaural as well as the concert DVD Touring Band 2000 that included a dedicated "Matt cam" feature. Amid his packed calendar Cameron also contributed to solo releases by Rush's Geddy Lee on My Favorite Headache and by Tony Iommi on Iommi.
In 2010 he reunited with Soundgarden for the long-inactive band's return, performing a comeback concert that March in Seattle and headlining Lollapalooza that August. Two years later he participated in the group's sixth studio album, King Animal. The next year he issued Drumgasm, a joint recording with acclaimed rock drummers Janet Weiss of Wild Flag, Quasi, and Sleater-Kinney and Zach Hill of Hella and Death Grips. Also in 2013 he drummed on Pearl Jam's tenth studio album, Lightning Bolt.
Throughout the ensuing years Cameron continued touring with both Pearl Jam and Soundgarden while initiating work on his first solo recording. On May 18, 2017, while on the road with Soundgarden, he was present when vocalist Chris Cornell was discovered deceased in a Detroit hotel room following the band's performance at the Fox Theater. The group subsequently canceled the remaining dates and halted further activity. In the aftermath of Cornell's death Cameron focused on his developing solo material and, in November 2017, issued his debut album Cavedweller, handling vocals, songwriting, and guitar with Blackstar-era David Bowie collaborators drummer Mark Guiliana and bassist Tim Lefebvre. He then rejoined Pearl Jam for the band's eleventh studio album, Gigaton, released in 2020. Additional supergroup ventures followed, including Nighttime Boogie Association featuring Cameron together with Taylor Hawkins, Buzz Osborne, and Steven McDonald; the ensemble put out two singles that year. In 2022 he appeared on the self-titled debut of 3rd Secret, the ensemble uniting him with Nirvana founder and bassist Krist Novoselic, Soundgarden's Kim Thayil, Void's Jon Dupree, and vocalists Jillian Raye and Jennifer Johnson. A second album, The 2nd 3rd Secret, followed in 2023.
Matthew D. Cameron entered the world on November 28, 1962, in San Diego, California, began drumming at age nine, and supplied lead vocals for the track "Puberty Love" in the 1970s cult film Attack of the Killer Tomatoes. After settling in Seattle, Washington, during the early 1980s, he became part of Skin Yard and performed on their self-titled debut. By the 1987 release of that album he had already transferred to another rising Seattle act, Soundgarden. At a moment when the late-1980s heavy metal landscape consisted largely of either glossy glam metal or straightforward thrash metal, Soundgarden restored metal to its foundational Sabbath/Zeppelin origins while infusing it with punk intensity. The group issued several independent recordings—the EPs Screaming Life and Fopp on Sub Pop plus the full-length Ultramega OK on SST—and generated considerable interest within both metal and alternative circles.
A&M Records signed Soundgarden, which then delivered a succession of landmark albums—1989's Louder Than Love, 1991's Badmotorfinger, and 1994's Superunknown—that elevated the band to major rock status as one of the principal forces in the early-1990s "Seattle Explosion" alongside Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Alice in Chains, and others. Cameron also carved out time for appearances on assorted other artists' sessions and side projects, including Tone Dogs' Ankety Low Day, the self-titled debut by Temple of the Dog, Hater's self-titled debut, and Eleven's Thunk, while additionally providing drums for Pearl Jam's initial demos.
In a surprising move, Soundgarden disbanded in 1997 at the height of their commercial achievements, shortly after sharing a Lollapalooza bill and issuing their highest-selling album, Down on the Upside. Cameron remained active with Wellwater Conspiracy, a project that began as a side effort yet evolved into a primary commitment. Although the band, whose style blended lo-fi alt-rock with 1960s garage rock, psychedelia, and mod influences, recruited different musicians for its albums—Declaration of Conformity in 1997, Brotherhood of Electric in 1999, and The Scroll and Its Combinations in 2001—Cameron and former Monster Magnet guitarist John McBain formed its nucleus.
Meanwhile he stepped in for Pearl Jam when their drummer Jack Irons withdrew for health reasons, which led to multiple global tours and his appearance on the 2000 album Binaural as well as the concert DVD Touring Band 2000 that included a dedicated "Matt cam" feature. Amid his packed calendar Cameron also contributed to solo releases by Rush's Geddy Lee on My Favorite Headache and by Tony Iommi on Iommi.
In 2010 he reunited with Soundgarden for the long-inactive band's return, performing a comeback concert that March in Seattle and headlining Lollapalooza that August. Two years later he participated in the group's sixth studio album, King Animal. The next year he issued Drumgasm, a joint recording with acclaimed rock drummers Janet Weiss of Wild Flag, Quasi, and Sleater-Kinney and Zach Hill of Hella and Death Grips. Also in 2013 he drummed on Pearl Jam's tenth studio album, Lightning Bolt.
Throughout the ensuing years Cameron continued touring with both Pearl Jam and Soundgarden while initiating work on his first solo recording. On May 18, 2017, while on the road with Soundgarden, he was present when vocalist Chris Cornell was discovered deceased in a Detroit hotel room following the band's performance at the Fox Theater. The group subsequently canceled the remaining dates and halted further activity. In the aftermath of Cornell's death Cameron focused on his developing solo material and, in November 2017, issued his debut album Cavedweller, handling vocals, songwriting, and guitar with Blackstar-era David Bowie collaborators drummer Mark Guiliana and bassist Tim Lefebvre. He then rejoined Pearl Jam for the band's eleventh studio album, Gigaton, released in 2020. Additional supergroup ventures followed, including Nighttime Boogie Association featuring Cameron together with Taylor Hawkins, Buzz Osborne, and Steven McDonald; the ensemble put out two singles that year. In 2022 he appeared on the self-titled debut of 3rd Secret, the ensemble uniting him with Nirvana founder and bassist Krist Novoselic, Soundgarden's Kim Thayil, Void's Jon Dupree, and vocalists Jillian Raye and Jennifer Johnson. A second album, The 2nd 3rd Secret, followed in 2023.