No one can ever accuse Billy Corgan of not sharing. The Smashing Pumpkins leader (and only remaining original member) finally took to the pages of his band's official Web site last week to explain just what the hell is going on in Pumpkinland these days, what with the parting of the ways with original drummer Jimmy Chamberlin, the continuing despite being the only real Pumpkin left and the whole melting-down-on-stage thing.
His nearly 2,500-word rant offered some questions and raised a whole bunch more. Because we know you're busy, here are some highlights:
Current project: Working on a new Pumpkins album in sunny California with "some of my friends," focusing on five or six songs that he hopes to include in a "large multimedia project" he has in mind that may contain up to 44 songs.
Why he chose to go on with the Pumpkins name: "The simple answer is that when I decided to write and record again under the name the Smashing Pumpkins in 2005, I committed myself 100 pct. 100pct of my mind-body-soul to come back and make the band really be great again, and I feel in tune to SP in a way I haven't felt in tune probably since 1995 or 1996. As they say in No Limit Poker, I'm 'all in.' I'm not going to back out of the challenge in front of me now."
On his misunderstood method acting: Corgan describes his many onstage personas (zero, the white spider, the sad guy, the vampyre) as akin to characters in a TV show and notes that he doesn't think it's inauthentic to play-act while performing. "That to me IS what rock and roll is about," he wrote. "But many lack the sophistication to appreciate that just because I play a baby-faced killa upon the darkened stage that it doesn't come close to who I really am. I would point very gently to the diversity and complexity of my artistic work to give you some sense of who Billy Corgan really is (that is a joking 3rd person by the way). Part-alien, part-human, part-robot, part-star-crossed lover and part-mercury filled apparently if one was to read the songs in that way."
More bands!: Corgan said he is contemplating starting two other bands and releasing more solo work, but he's keeping them under wraps until he can secure the appropriate Web site domain names first. "The general idea is the work of the other groups and solo may intertwine with the SP album as far as a release schedule would go. But I'm all ready ahead of myself there."
New drummer: While never once mentioning good pal and former drummer Jimmy Chamberlin, Corgan says he's gotten more than 1,000 applications to date for the first round of drummer auditions slated to take place on April 14, during which he'll play bass with the auditioners.
A new way to release albums: Corgan, who has said he doesn't plan to release an old-fashioned album again, explained that he would like to release one song at a time over a period of two to three years, adding up to a box set that would also include an "art movie" of the album. "My thinking is that if I focus on one song at a time I would approach them as beautiful, distinct paintings that would each require the attention they deserve," he said. "This would also mean I would choose what I am recording quite carefully as there would be tremendous internal pressure to get it just right, and that is the kind of pressure I like, which is to make the most beautiful thing possible." The first song could hit in September.
That whole ranting-at-shows thing: "If you see BC out there griping, it is only because I have failed to set the proper conditions to be in the love and light with you," he said. "The fan is NOT responsible in any way, shape, or form for my happiness or my ability to do my job. (Nor have they ever been.) If I have given that impression to any of you through the years I am sorry about that. That was an error on my part. When a fan comes to an SP show we owe it to you to put on the best show possible, rain or shine. I believe the days of standing on a stage somewhere in the world feeling torn about why I am up there are over." From now on, he promised, Pumpkins shows will be all about "peace from this day forward."
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