The Smashing Pumpkins did a new photoshoot yesterday in Los Angeles, finally confirming the band’s reunion lineup. The current Pumpkins lineup is Billy Corgan, James Iha, Jimmy Chamberlin, and Jeff Schroeder, a reunion of 3/4 of the band’s original lineup. It’s unclear if the Pumpkins will be a four piece or five piece live when they tour this summer.
Schroeder had been the band’s guitarist for 11 years, and if he remains in that role then the Pumpkins will become a three guitar band like Foo Fighters, and they would have to find a touring bassist. Schroeder had been spotted playing bass in the studio though, so if he moves over to play bass live then the Pumpkins could continue as a four piece.
James Iha is rejoining the Pumpkins as an official member for the first time since his exit from the band over 17 years ago in December 2000. Iha made three guest performances with the Pumpkins in 2016. D’arcy Wretzky recently announced that she was ‘disappointed’ to be informed she wouldn’t be part of the reunion, and that she was ‘supposed’ to be involved.
“My apologies to all of the Smashing Pumpkins fans out there who are excited about this oncoming reunion tour of the original members of the band. I know this is a huge disappointment for me, as well, but it’s not going to happen [with me],” Wretzky told Blast Echo last month.
She added, “I only just found about yesterday that the band has decided to go with a different bass player.”
The reunited Pumpkins have recently been recording a comeback album in Los Angeles with producer Rick Rubin. Chamberlin last appeared on 2007’s Zeitgeist while Iha’s last Pumpkins album was 2000’s MACHINA/The Machines of God.
Below are two photos that have leaked from the new Pumpkins photoshoot.
