Smashing Pumpkins Photo Shoot Appears to Reveal New Lineup
There has been plenty of talk about what Billy Corgan will do with Smashing Pumpkins in 2018, having re-opened the lines of communication with the classic era members of the band. Many have speculated that a potential reunion of the '90s era lineup may be afoot, but bassist D'Arcy Wretzky recently revealed that she was informed she wouldn't be part of the band's plans for this year. While an official announcement has yet to be made, another clue comes courtesy of a new photo that has surfaced online that appears to be from a photo shoot.
The picture below shows Billy Corgan alongside Jimmy Chamberlin, James Iha and Jeff Schroeder, with the musicians primarily dressed in black against a white backdrop. If the photo is a correct representation of the band as it currently stands, the lineup would include three-fourths of the classic lineup, with modern era Pumpkins player Schroeder also joining in. What is unclear though is who will play bass for the band, as Schroeder has primarily played guitar for the group.
Corgan has posted photos in recent weeks of himself, Iha, Chamberlin and Schroeder all spending time in the studio. Iha was only photographed in a "hangout" environment with Corgan and Chamberlin, leaving his status still a bit of a mystery, but his participation in the photoshoot would be a good sign that he will be joining the group for their 2018 plans.
Back in March of 2016, Iha made a surprise guest appearance with Smashing Pumpkins on their "In Plainsong" tour, sitting in on "Mayonaise," "Soma," "Rocket," "Spaceboy," "Today," "Whir" and "Disarm." It was the first time Iha had played with the band since December 2000. Chamberlin has had more of an off-and-on status with the band in recent years.
Corgan has been actively teasing his studio work via social media, with one of his latest postings seeming to back up an early statement that he was working toward a double album. "Ok, I misspoke. Today wasn't the last day in studio," stated Corgan in an Instagram post over the weekend. "More work ahead (lyrics, vocals, strings). Which I guess means something like 26 songs currently in various states of completion, production, insanity. But honestly, and I mean this from the heart, I'm very pleased to be this engaged with making new music at this point in my life. I started playing the guitar April 1, 1981, so almost 37 years later the colors remain vivid in my mind, there are still fresh (and dare I say provocative) subjects to address, and the guitar feels once again like the preferred weapon of choice."
Stay tuned as more details about Smashing Pumpkins' 2018 plans continue to be revealed.
Smashing Pumpkins Albums Ranked