 Pearl Jam 's contract with Epic Records had ended in 2003 , but the band was not ready to release an album without label backing . Independent label Epitaph Records was considered , but the band wanted a company that would guarantee a wide release . Manager Kelly Curtis signed a one record deal with J Records - which ironically during production became , like Epic , a subsidiary of Sony Music after said company merged with J 's parent company BMG . J had approached Pearl Jam as early as 2001 , and had its first experiments with the band issuing the live album Live at Benaroya Hall in 2004 . Vedder said J was picked as they searched for " somebody who 'll allow us to be who we are and respects how we do things " and contributed with the " facilitation of getting the music out there " . Gossard added the label did not input any time or creative constraints upon the band - " We didn 't play them much music until it was basically done , and they were pleased . They weren 't expecting us to do something that was unnatural for us . " 
