Matthew Chamberlain (born April 17, 1967) is an American session musician, drummer, producer and songwriter. He has played with various artists, including Pearl Jam, David Bowie, Tori Amos, The Wallflowers, Elton John, Lisa Marie Presley, Brandi Carlile, Garbage, and Macy Gray.
Biography
Chamberlain was born in San Pedro, California on April 17, 1967. He began learning how to play the drums at 15 years old, taking lessons with David Garibaldi from the band Tower of Power. He attended North Texas State's music program, leaving after less than a year. After leaving college, he moved to Dallas, Texas and played with multiple bands, often taking on small gigs.
While in Texas, he was hired to play drums on tour with Edie Brickell & New Bohemians, and he recorded two records with the band before they broke up in 1991. At the time of hiring, Chamberlain was living next door to their bass player, Brad Houser.
He was the second drummer of the band Pearl Jam and played with them for about three weeks in the summer of 1991. He was in their music video for their song "Alive."
During the 1991 and 1992 season, he was a drummer for the house band of Saturday Night Live.
Along with Skerik, Brad Houser and Mike Dillon, he co-created the jazz-fusion band Critters Buggin.
He has played with David Bowie, Elton John, Brandi Carlile, Fiona Apple, The Wallflowers, Macy Gray, Natalie Merchant, Tori Amos, Garbage and others.
In 2016, 2019 and 2021, he won Modern Drummer magazine's readers poll in the Studio Musician category. In 2014 he filled in for drummer Matt Cameron in Soundgarden. He played over 51 shows with them through South America, Europe and a co-headlining tour with Nine Inch Nails in the United States.
He was the Music Director for More Music @ The Moore Theatre Seattle, Washington, in 2019 and 2020.
Chamberlain joined Bob Dylan's Never Ending Tour in 2019 and played on his 2020 release Rough and Rowdy Ways. He was succeeded by Charley Drayton when Dylan resumed touring at the end of 2021.
Selected discography
as leader
Matt Chamberlain (Web Of Mimicry, 2005) Company 23 (Independent, 2012) Comet B (Independent, 2016)
with Critters Buggin
Guest (Loosegroove, 1994) Host (Loosegroove, 1997) Monkeypot Merganzer (Independent, 1997) Bumpa (Loosegroove, 1998) Amoeba (Loosegroove, 1998) Stampede (Ropeadope, 2004) Live in 95 at the OK Hotel - Seattle 1995 (Independent, 2009) Muti EP (Independent, 2014)
with Floratone (Bill Frisell, Tucker Martine & Lee Townsend) Floratone (Blue Note, 2007) Floratone II (Savoy Jazz, 2012)
with Sean Watkins & Matt Chamberlain Duo
Sean Watkins & Matt Chamberlain (Self Released, 2020)
with Slow Music Project (Bill Rieflin, Robert Fripp, Peter Buck, Fred Chalenor, Hector Zazou, Matt Chamberlain) Live El Rey Theater, May 13 2006 (DGM Live) Live The Coach House, May 12 2006 (DGM Live) Live Largo, May 11 2006 (DGM Live) Live Great American Music Hall, May 9 2006 (DGM Live) Live Showbox, May 6 2006 (DGM Live) Live Aladdin Theater May 5 2006 (DGM Live)
with Painted Shield
Painted Shield (Loosegroove, 2020) Painted Shield 2 (Loosegroove, 2022)
as a sideman
with Bob Dylan
Rough and Rowdy Ways (Columbia, 2020)
with A Perfect Circle
Eat the Elephant (BMG, 2018)
with Amos Lee
My New Moon (Dualtone Music Group, Inc., 2018)
with Brandi Carlile
The Story (Columbia, 2007) Bear Creek (Columbia, 2012)
with Perfume Genius
Set My Heart on Fire Immediately (Matador Records, 2020) Eye In The Wall (Matador Records, 2020)
with Brad Mehldau
Largo (Warner Bros, 2002) Highway Rider (Nonesuch Records, 2010)
with Bruce Springsteen
Wrecking Ball (Columbia, 2012) Western Stars (Columbia, 2019)
with Jars of Clay
Inland (Gray Matters, 2013)
with Shelby Lynne
Love, Shelby (Island Records, 2001)
with Kanye West
Late Registration (Uncredited) (Def Jam Roc-A-Fella, 2005)
with Leonard Cohen
Thanks for the Dance (Columbia Records, 2019)
with Chris Cornell
Higher Truth (UM, 2015)
with The Wallflowers
Bringing Down the Horse (Interscope Records, 1996) Breach (Interscope, 2000)
with Chris Isaak
Speak of the Devil (Reprise Records, 1998)
with Stevie Nicks
Trouble in Shangri-La (Reprise Records, 2001)
with David Bowie
Heathen (Columbia Records, 2002) Reality (Columbia Records, 2003)
with Edie Brickell and New Bohemians
Ghost of a Dog (Geffen, 1990)
with Elton John
Songs from the West Coast (Mercury Records, 2001)