Pearl Jam frontman Eddie Vedder says solo outing is a ‘group project’

Technically, Eddie Vedder’s new album and tour are a solo project, but the longtime Pearl Jam frontman was anything but alone on the almost-accidental venture, reported The Associated Press.

The Earthling was all about collaboration and camaraderie, Vedder revealed.

“It’s my picture on the cover of the record but really there should be so many people on it,” Vedder said when he first played the finished album for a small group of friends and reporters at a Hollywood studio.

“People just kept elevating the sounds by contributing.”

It features a band of his peers, including producer Andrew Watt, Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer Chad Smith, and former Chili Peppers guitarist Josh Klinghoffer, along with guest stars including Elton John, Stevie Wonder and Ringo Starr that made the process feel like a fantasy camp.

The album is like a tour through music history in more ways than one. Released in February, it now sits atop the Billboard album sales chart, which measures traditional in-store purchases of CDs and vinyl.

Vedder has previously undertaken projects that were more purely solo, including the 2007 soundtrack to Into the Wild and 2011′s Ukulele Songs. - AP