Smashing Pumpkins opened up about their reunion in an interview published in today's New York Times. Though Billy Corgan, James Iha, and Jimmy Chamberlin were each interviewed for the feature, as you might guess Corgan was the one to take most of the spotlight. He revealed that the reunion is going swimmingly right now and stated "I would say this is the happiest time of the band."
He revealed that it was Iha that got the reunion ball rolling - Iha contacted Corgan a few years ago and they tested the water from there before officially deciding to have a go at it. Corgan is adamant that the reunion is more than just a nostalgia trip and there are indeed plans to release new music. The Pumpkins created a 15 song demo which they provided to Rick Rubin, then Rubin chose eight of those songs to record. Rubin told the Times that the band came into the studio "with a healthy mindset" and sonically the new material "fits well with classic Pumpkin catalog." The tracks are expected to be released on a pair of EPs later this year.
Corgan is intensely bitter about how things went down with ex-bassist D'arcy Wretzky who will not be participating in the reunion. Though he chose not to address any of the allegations she made about Corgan and the reunion, he revealed he wasn't happy she broke the news about the Smashing Pumpkins reunion tour (before they were able to), and called it "horrifying" that she took her beefs to the press and publicly posted personal text messages she and Corgan shared.
"I think what she did demonstrates why she couldn't be involved. I was vulnerable and shared things and trusted that there was a reason to give it a chance despite empirical evidence that that was not a wise decision."
Corgan wrapped up his comments about Wretzky by stating the bridge between them has been burned forever.
A portion of the interview focused on Corgan being a controversial and outspoken figure. To that end Corgan agreed he was a villain of sorts and acknowledged his over the top comments have been a detriment to Smashing Pumpkins, claiming but for his antics they'd probably be playing bigger venues or in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. He went on to describe himself as a "heel" and declared himself the second biggest heel in all of rock history, coming in second only to Lou Reed, who he considers "the king" of all heels.
Read the full feature on Smashing Pumpkins over at The New York Times.
Smashing Pumpkins hit the road for their Shiny and Oh So Bright reunion tour this summer. Dates are posted below:
The Smashing Pumpkins - The Shiny And So Bright Tour
Jul 12 -- Glendale, AZ @ Gila River Arena
Jul 14 -- Oklahoma City, OK @ Chesapeake Energy Arena
Jul 16 -- Austin, TX @ Frank Erwin Center
Jul 17 -- Houston, TX @ Toyota Center
Jul 18 -- Dallas, TX @ American Airlines Center
Jul 20 -- Nashville, TN @ Bridgestone Arena
Jul 21 -- Louisville, KY @ KFC Yum! Centre
Jul 22 -- Atlanta, GA @ Infinite Energy Arena
Jul 24 -- Miami, FL @ American Airlines Arena
Jul 25 -- Tampa, FL @ Amalie Arena
Jul 27 -- Baltimore, MD @ Royal Farms Arena
Jul 28 -- Philadelphia, PA @ Wells Fargo Center
Jul 29 -- Uncasville, CT @ Mohegan Sun Arena
Jul 31 -- Boston, MA @ TD Garden
Aug 01 -- New York City, NY @ Madison Square Garden Arena
Aug 04 -- Pittsburgh, PA @ PPG Paints Arena
Aug 05 -- Detroit, MI @ Little Caesars Arena
Aug 07 -- Montreal, QC @ Centre Bell
Aug 08 -- Toronto, ON @ Air Canada Centre
Aug 11 -- Columbus, OH @ Schottenstein Center
Aug 13 -- Chicago, IL @ United Center
Aug 14 -- Chicago, IL @ United Center
Aug 16 -- Kansas City, MO @ Sprint Center
Aug 17 -- Indianapolis, IN @ Bankers Life Fieldhouse
Aug 19 -- St. Paul, MN @ Xcel Energy Center
Aug 20 -- Omaha, NE @ Centurylink Center
Aug 21 -- Sioux Falls, SD @ Denny Sanford Premier Center
Aug 24 -- Seattle, WA @ Key Arena
Aug 25 -- Portland, OR @ Moda Center
Aug 27 -- Oakland, CA @ Oracle Arena
Aug 28 -- Sacramento, CA Golden 1 Center
Aug 30 -- Los Angeles, CA @ Forum
Aug 31 -- Los Angeles, CA @ Forum
Sep 01 -- San Diego, CA @ Viejas Arena
Sep 02 -- Las Vegas, NV @ T-Mobile Arena
Sep 04 -- Salt Lake City, UT @ Vivint Smart Home Arena
Sep 05 -- Denver, CO @ Pepsi Center Arena
Sep 07 -- Boise, ID @ Ford Idaho Center
Published March 22nd, 2018