The Pearl Jam and Soundgarden drummer joins forces with Seattle’s powerful soul vocalist for a new EP, now available for streaming.
Today, Friday, March 14, 2025, New Beginning EP was released, the result of a collaboration between drummer Matt Cameron and singer Shaina Shepherd.
The five-track EP was produced by Cameron himself along with Nate Yaccino and is distributed by Keep It Trippy Records, the label founded by Cameron and the late Taylor Hawkins of Foo Fighters in 2020 for their project Nighttime Boogie Association. After that single, in 2024, the label released the EP Gory Scorch Cretins, in which Cameron paid tribute to the seminal Melvins.
Who Is Shaina Shepherd?
Shaina Shepherd is a singer, songwriter, and music teacher based in Seattle, known for her vocal versatility and for being the frontwoman of the soul-grunge band BEARAXE. Her dynamic voice blends the power of rock, the depth of soul, and the introspection of American folk. In addition to her music career, she is actively involved in community organizing within Seattle’s music scene.
Collaborating with Matt Cameron
Matt Cameron, legendary drummer for Pearl Jam and Soundgarden, has previously worked with Shaina Shepherd. On December 14, 2024, the two performed together in Seattle as part of Nudedragons – an anagram of Soundgarden – during a benefit concert, where Shepherd lent her voice to tracks such as Hunted Down, Outshined, and Flower.
This new collaboration on New Beginning EP merges grunge, soul, and rock, showcasing Cameron’s unmistakable rhythmic style and Shepherd’s powerful vocals.
Songs like the upbeat The Moment I Found You and New Beginning, which open and close the EP, make an immediate impact. Tracks like Move and Next Time blend funk and soul elements with Cameron’s drumming, with him also providing backing vocals on the EP. Meanwhile, Self Denial stands out as the high point of this collaboration, combining Soundgarden-esque sonorities with Shepherd’s commanding vocal performance, as soulful as it is rock-infused.
New Beginning EP Tracklist:
- The Moment I Found You
- Move
- Next Time
- Self Denial
- New Beginning
As reported in the latest pearljam.com newsletter, the EP will also be available on vinyl, though details on its release have yet to be announced.
Born in Reggio Emilia in 1980. He created pearljamonline.it in 2001 and wrote the first edition of “Pearl Jam Evolution” in 2009 along with his wife Daria. Since 2022, he is behind 2 podcasts: “Pearl Jam dalla A alla Z” and “Fuori Orario Not Another Podcast”. He has collaborated with Barracuda Style, HvsR, Rolling Stone, Rockol and Il Fatto Quotidiano. He continues relentlessly to try to find “beautiful melodies that say terrible things”.
Favorite song: Present Tense
Favorite album: No Code
Favorite bands/artists other than PJ: Tom Waits, Soundgarden, Ramones, Bruce Springsteen, IDLES, Fontaines D.C., The Murder Capital, Dead Kennedys, Mark Lanegan, Cat Power, R.E.M.