Pearl Jam may be taking it slow in the recording studio, that doesn’t mean they’re not making some progress.

The band is currently working on their first new album since 2009’s Backspacer, and in a recent interview with Rolling Stone, frontman Eddie Vedder gave a positive update on the recording process and on the dynamic of the group.

He explained, “[We’re] maybe halfway there. We're taking our time. I was talking to Jeff [Ament] today, we were texting, he's got his group up there. He's heading to the West Coast, I'm heading east. And we're out here like, you know, like Johnny Appleseed. He's covering part of the country. I'm doing the other. And at some point we'll join forces again for sure, but the band is as healthy as ever and I'm sure it's good to get a little break from each other, but it's nice to – we'll be ready to go when we're ready to go.”

Vedder went on to say that the album doesn’t exactly have a describable vibe, stating, “It just comes out. It sounds like it sounds like. We really work together as a unit these days.”

He also says that, with every member contributing to the music, it continues to sound fresh and new, as everyone in the band has grown and changed through the years.

With many of Pearl Jam’s members involved in other projects, there’s no telling when they may tour in support of the new record, but they do have three South American shows slated for 2013: one at Lollapalooza Brazil on March 31^st, another at El Festival Mas Grande in Buenos Aires on April 3^rd, and the final at Lollapalooza Chile on April 6^th.

To read Eddie Vedder’s entire interview with Rolling Stone, which mainly revolves around his relationship with the West Memphis Three, click here, and head to the band’s official website to keep up with all things Pearl Jam.