Matt Chamberlain


Matthew Chamberlain is an American drummer, record producer, and songwriter. He came to prominence with Edie Brickell & New Bohemians, and has worked as a session musician for a wide range of artists including Pearl Jam, David Bowie, Tori Amos, The Wallflowers, Elton John, Fiona Apple, Bob Dylan, Brandi Carlile, John Fogerty, Sarah McLachlan, and Soundgarden.
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Biography

Chamberlain was born in San Pedro, California on April 17, 1967. He began learning how to play the drums at age 15, taking lessons with Tower of Power drummer David Garibaldi. He enrolled at North Texas State University to study music but left after less than a year. After leaving college, he moved to Dallas, Texas and played with numerous bands in the Deep Ellum music scene.
While in Texas, Chamberlain joined Edie Brickell & New Bohemians, and was the drummer on their 1990 album Ghost of a Dog. He was then recruited by Pearl Jam to assist with live performances after the departure of original drummer Dave Krusen. Chamberlain played with Pearl Jam for three weeks in mid-1991; he did not appear on any recordings but is pictured in the video for the song "Alive". He then left Pearl Jam but recommended his own replacement Dave Abbruzzese. Chamberlain next served as the drummer for the Saturday Night Live house band during the 1991 and 1992 seasons.
Since leaving Saturday Night Live, Chamberlain has maintained a prolific career as an in-demand session drummer and has appeared on more than 200 albums. From the late 1990s to early 2020s he played on most sutdio albums and their associated tours with Tori Amos. In 2014 he joined Soundgarden as touring drummer in support of their reunion album King Animal, playing during several legs of an international tour in relief of drummer Matt Cameron who was busy touring with his other fulltime band Pearl Jam.
In addition to his fequent session work, in 1993 Chamberlain formed the jazz-fusion band Critters Buggin, with which he continues to record and perform periodically. In 2005 he was recruited by Bill Rieflin for the experimental Slow Music Project. Since 2007 Chamberlain has participated in the Floratone jazz collective led by Bill Frissell, and in 2020 he formed the grunge supergroup Painted Shield.
In 2019 Chamberlain toured extensively with Bob Dylan. During that period he served as musical director for More Music at The Moore Theatre in Seattle, Washington. In 2025 he toured extensively with Paul Simon. Between 2016 and 2024, Chamberlain won the Modern Drummer readers' poll in the Studio Musician category four times.

Selected discography

As group member

soloMatt Chamberlain Company 23 Comet B Foundry
Critters BugginGuest Host Monkeypot Merganzer Bumpa Amoeba Stampede Live in 95 at the OK Hotel - Seattle 1995 Muti
FloratoneFloratone Floratone II
Painted ShieldPainted Shield Painted Shield 2
Sean Watkins & Matt Chamberlain DuoSean Watkins & Matt Chamberlain
Slow Music Project

As studio musician

Amos LeeMy New Moon
A Perfect CircleEat the Elephant
Bob DylanRough and Rowdy Ways
Brad MehldauLargo Highway Rider Ride into the Sun
Brandi CarlileThe Story Bear Creek Returning to Myself
Bruce SpringsteenWrecking Ball Western Stars
Chantal KreviazukColour Moving and Still
Chris CornellHigher Truth
Chris IsaakSpeak of the Devil
Dave NavarroTrust No One
David BowieHeathen Reality
Edie Brickell and New BohemiansGhost of a Dog
Elton JohnSongs from the West Coast
Fiona AppleTidal When the Pawn...
Frank OceanChannel Orange
Ghost Phantomime
Japanese BreakfastFor Melancholy Brunettes (& Sad Women)
Jars of ClayInland
John Fogerty Legacy: The Creedence Clearwater Revival Years
John MayerHeavier Things
Kanye WestLate Registration
Laura MarlingSemper Femina
Leonard CohenThanks for the Dance
LordeSolar Power
Mac MillerCircles
Macy GrayOn How Life Is
Of MontrealFalse Priest The Controllersphere
PhantogramVoices Three
Perfume GeniusSet My Heart on Fire Immediately
Peter GabrielFlotsam and Jetsam
Randy NewmanDark Matter
Robbie WilliamsIntensive Care
Rufus WainwrightUnfollow the Rules
Sara BareillesLittle Voice Kaleidoscope Heart
Sam PhillipsOmnipop (It's Only a Flesh Wound Lambchop)
Sean LennonFriendly Fire
Shelby LynneLove, Shelby
Stevie NicksTrouble in Shangri-La
The FormatBoycott Heaven
Tori AmosFrom the Choirgirl Hotel To Venus and Back Strange Little Girls Scarlet's Walk The Beekeeper American Doll Posse Abnormally Attracted to Sin Midwinter Graces Christmastide Ocean to Ocean
The WallflowersBringing Down the Horse Breach
Willie Nelson and Miranda LambertRestoration: Reimagining the Songs of Elton John and Bernie Taupin
The WhoWho
Zola Jesus

Movie soundtracks