Is Pearl Jam teasing a new album? The Seattle veterans and Rock and Roll Hall of Famers have uploaded an image of an electrocardiogram on their social media accounts, with the words 'Pearl Jam' spelled out in the middle.
A second post was more detailed, containing a video of a map of the world with various cities marked. The same map on the band's website featured coordinates around the world, as well as a message that said, “We have something special for you. Locate the nearest marker and activate the lens once you arrive.”
The three coordinates in the U.S. led to spots in Venice, California, Seattle and New York City, where animated billboards featured an image of polar ice cliffs melting and one word: “Gigaton.”
Fans are now speculating that “Gigaton” is either the name of a new song or the title of the band's 11th studio album, which several members of the group have confirmed is in the works.
Guitarist Stone Gossard told us a while back that the band never sets out with a predetermined goal for a new LP: “It's very difficult to set out to do something and achieve it, as opposed to just each song, try to make it as good as you can. We set out more like, we're gonna make a record and we know we're gonna — everyone's gonna write some songs, and we're gonna try to do the best for each of those songs and then we're gonna see what we've got at the end and figure out how to put 'em together, you know. It's much less planned than you would imagine.”
Pearl Jam also recently booked a European tour for next summer, the clearest sign yet that the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame act is gearing up for a return to action in 2020. The 13-date trek, which will feature support from Pixies, Idles and White Reaper, will mark the band's first live appearances in nearly two years.