During a recent Substack livestream, Smashing Pumpkins frontman Billy Corgan told fans that there will be no more new music from the band, though it’s unclear if he was being sarcastic.
Billy Corgan says there isn’t new Smashing Pumpkins music in the works
Corgan said, as transcribed by Alternative Nation, “Currently, there is no new music. Sorry. Chrome Jets is it. Sayonara, new music. Someday I’ll tell you the real story.” He also stated, “There’s no album in the works. There’s no music. It’s the end of the rainbow, man. That’s it. No more new music.”
The comments left some fans wondering whether Corgan was being sincere or simply making an offhand remark. He has previously said that there was nothing “currently” in the works, but never issued a definitive statement about ending new projects altogether.
It seemed pretty throwaway, if he was genuinely making such a big ‘announcement,’ he wouldn’t do it that casually. This is the kind of thing Corgan gets annoyed about when little comments get blown up by the press, so if he offers a clarification, we’ll definitely post it here.
Still, the remarks sparked debate among listeners about the Smashing Pumpkins’ legacy and the reception of their more recent work. While Corgan has released a large volume of material since the band’s 1990s peak, many longtime fans remain attached to classics like Siamese Dream and Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness. Corgan also seems more eager to record and change Smashing Pumpkins setlists than bandmates James Iha and Jimmy Chamberlin, leading to his well reviewed solo ‘Machines of God’ tour this year.
Corgan previously said in 2008 the Pumpkins wouldn’t release any more new albums, with only singles and EP’s planned.
Corgan said in 2008, “there is no point” to making albums. “People don’t even listen to it all. They put it on their iPod, they drag over the two singles, and skip over the rest. The listening patterns have changed, so why are we killing ourselves to do albums, to create balance, and do the arty track to set up the single? It’s done.”
Instead of releasing blockbuster albums and playing arena gigs, Corgan vowed to “go small”. “We’ll be like a new band that can’t rely on old gimmicks … We will crack the egg like we did in 1992, without doing something embarrassing like working with Timbaland. We will find how to do our thing and make it work.”
The Pumpkins later came back and released many new albums over the next 16 years, including last year’s critically praised Aghori Mhori Mei.
