“Into the Wild” marks the first solo studio album by Eddie Vedder, the lead vocalist of Pearl Jam. It’s inspired by his contributions to the soundtrack of the movie with the same title. This album was released on September 18, 2007, under the label J Records.
The background story involves director Sean Penn selecting Vedder to create music for the film. Prior to this, Vedder had provided songs for two other films featuring Penn: “Dead Man Walking” in 1995 and a cover of the Beatles’ “You’ve Got to Hide Your Love Away” for “I Am Sam” in 2001.
The recording of the soundtrack took place in 2007 at Studio X in Seattle, Washington. Vedder collaborated with producer Adam Kasper, known for his work on Pearl Jam’s albums, “Riot Act” (2002) and “Pearl Jam” (2006). Kasper and Vedder also handled the album’s mixing.
After watching an early version of “Into the Wild,” Vedder promptly began composing songs for the film. Within three days, he presented Penn with a range of material, which Penn incorporated into the movie. Vedder continued to create more songs for Penn to use, with a high level of trust and collaboration between them.
Vedder described the recording process as highly efficient, with him quickly composing vocals and music to match the scenes. He mentioned feeling somewhat detached during this period, as if he had entered a different creative zone.
Musically, Vedder’s songs for the film have a folk sound, occasionally interspersed with rock elements. Michael Brook, a film music composer, is also credited for the film’s original music, and Vedder praised how their pieces of music complemented each other organically.
Notable tracks on the album include Vedder’s cover of “Hard Sun” and “Society,” which he co-wrote with singer-songwriter Jerry Hannan. These songs, along with other folk ballads by Vedder, contribute to the narrative of Christopher McCandless, an American wanderer whose story is central to “Into the Wild.”
The album was released globally on September 17, 2007, in various formats, including CD and LP. In the United States, it debuted at number 11 on the Billboard 200 chart, with the lead single, “Hard Sun,” reaching number 17 on the Hot Modern Rock Tracks chart. The album achieved Platinum status in Italy and Gold status in Switzerland.
Vedder embarked on his first solo tour in promotion of the album, starting in April 2008 with the “April Fools Tour” on the West Coast and later a second leg of the tour in August 2008, focusing on the East Coast and Canada.
Songs:
- “Setting Forth” 1:37
- “No Ceiling” 1:34
- “Far Behind” 2:15
- “Rise” 2:36
- “Long Nights” 2:31
- “Tuolumne” 1:00
- “Hard Sun” 5:22
- “Society” 3:56
- “The Wolf” 1:32
- “End of the Road” 3:19
- “Guaranteed” 7:22
