MATT CAMERON UP CLOSE WITH THE SOUNDGARDEN & PEARL JAM STICKSMAN
The first time I heard Matt Cameron play was on Soundgarden’s Flower EP,” says Taylor. “I was immediately struck by the military precision of the drumming and the marching snare intro that leads into that badass riff… It just got me.
“I quickly found Ultramega OK, and that’s when I started discovering more about Matt as a drummer and Soundgarden as a band... They were soon part of my favourite little group of cassettes – along with Jane’s Addiction and the Chili Peppers.
“When Soundgarden’s first major record release – Louder Than Love – came out in 1989, that’s when you could really hear the drums properly, and Matt became one of my favourite drummers at that time.
“What is it about his playing that I love? His discipline, power, technique and that awesome precision – it’s all about those hands! He’s a songwriter, too, and – this goes back to me also being inspired by Roger Taylor – I think that drummers are always better players when they go past just the drumming.
“For me, one of the best things about becoming a professional musician has been getting to meet – and sometimes work with – people that I admired coming up. And one of the greatest gifts I’ve had is collaborating with Matt on our own little project, Nighttime Boogie Association. I’m so lucky that I got to enjoy his playing from afar and have him as an inspiration when I was starting out...and now we’re friends, and I get to talk to him for Rhythm. It’s a beautiful thing.
Taylor: “Who were your early musical influences?”
Matt: “The music that really stood out for me growing up was Jimi Hendrix, Deep Purple, Led Zeppelin and Queen. Roger Taylor and Ian Paice were both big influences, and as a kid I always considered myself someone who loved rock music. Around the age of 17, though, I discovered jazz and heard drummers like Elvin Jones, Tony Williams and Roy Haynes for the first time… Those seminal records put me in a completely different mindset, and I took lessons, studied really hard, worked on my hands
