New Video From The Smashing Pumpkins – Solara
On his birthday on March 26, 2016, original guitarist James Iha joined Billy Corgan, Jimmy Chamberlin, and Jeff Schroeder on stage unannounced at the Ace Hotel in downtown Los Angeles. He performed a few songs, including “Mayonaise”, “Soma” and “Whir” marking his first appearance with the Smashing Pumpkins in 16 years.[105] Iha also played at the second of the two Smashing Pumpkins shows at the Ace Hotel the following day, which was Easter Sunday. Iha joined the Pumpkins for a third time at their April 14 concert at the Civic Opera House in Chicago.[106] In July, Corgan began hinting of the possibility of reuniting the band original lineup, of himself, Iha, Wretzky, and Chamberlin,[107] and in August, he stated he had begun reaching out to the original lineup about the feasibility of a reunion, including speaking to Wretzky for the first time in sixteen years.[108] Despite the comments, Corgan would spend much of 2017 working on solo material – recording and releasing the solo album Ogilala and beginning work on another solo album for 2018.[109] In June 2017 Chamberlin also mentioned the possibility of a reunion tour in 2018.[110] In January 2018 Corgan shared a photo of himself, Iha, and Chamberlin together in recording studio.[111] In February 2018 Corgan announced that he was working with music producer Rick Rubin on a future Smashing Pumpkins album, that there were currently 26 songs he was actively working on, and that “the guitar feels once again like the preferred weapon of choice.”[112] Soon afterwards, Corgan shared a photo of sound equipment with Iha’s name on a label, as well as announcing recording was finished on the upcoming album.[113]
On February 15, 2018, the band officially announced that founding members Iha and Chamberlin were back in the band. They will embark on the “Shiny and Oh So Bright Tour” starting in July, with a focus on performing material from their first five studio albums.[114][115] Original bassist D’arcy Wretzky claimed she had been offered a contract to rejoin the band but Corgan rescinded the offer soon after.[116] Corgan released a statement denying the claims, stating “Ms. Wretzky has repeatedly been invited out to play with the group, participate in demo sessions, or at the very least, meet face-to-face, and in each and every instance she always deferred”.[117] Jack Bates (son of Joy Division bassist Peter Hook) will play bass on the tour. Bates previously toured with the Smashing Pumpkins in 2015.[118][119]
In March 2018, Corgan mentioned the band planned to release two EP’s in 2018, with the first tentatively planned for May.[120] On June 8, 2018, the first single from the set of music, “Solara“, was released.
The Smashing Pumpkins (or Smashing Pumpkins[note 1]) are an American alternative rock band from Chicago, Illinois. Formed in 1988 by frontman Billy Corgan (lead vocals, guitar) and James Iha (guitar), the band included D’arcy Wretzky (bass guitar) and Jimmy Chamberlin (drums) in its original incarnation. It has undergone many line-up changes over the course of its existence, with the current lineup being Corgan, Chamberlin, Iha and guitarist Jeff Schroeder.
Disavowing the punk rock roots of many of their alt-rock contemporaries, they have a diverse, densely layered, and guitar-heavy sound, containing elements of gothic rock, heavy metal, dream pop, psychedelic rock, progressive rock, shoegazing, and electronica in later recordings. Corgan is the group’s primary songwriter—his grand musical ambitions and cathartic lyrics have shaped the band’s albums and songs, which have been described as “anguished, bruised reports from Billy Corgan’s nightmare-land”.
The Smashing Pumpkins broke into the musical mainstream with their second album, 1993’s Siamese Dream. The group built its audience with extensive touring and their 1995 follow-up, the double album Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness, which debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 album chart. With 30 million albums sold worldwide, The Smashing Pumpkins were one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed bands of the 1990s. However, internal fighting, drug use, and diminishing record sales led to a 2000 break-up.
In 2006 Corgan and Chamberlin reconvened to record a new Smashing Pumpkins album, Zeitgeist. After touring throughout 2007 and 2008 with a lineup including new guitarist Jeff Schroeder, Chamberlin left the band in early 2009. Later that year, Corgan began a new recording series with a rotating lineup of musicians entitled Teargarden by Kaleidyscope, which encompassed the release of stand-alone singles, compilation EP releases, and two full albums that also fell under the project’s scope—Oceania in 2012 and Monuments to an Elegy in 2014. Chamberlin and Iha officially rejoined the band in February 2018.
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