In this latest interview with Billy Corgan he tells the Great Falls Tribune how he see’s the band today as a new chapter in Pumpkins history. “Chapter one was a story that played out and could’ve only played out that way because of the personalities involved. Chapter two is more about me inserting an artistic integrity upon the operation and basically finding the people that can be consistent in that and are dedicated to that.”
He explains the Teargarden project “The reason I was attracted to the project is because I wanted to show an artistic progression in sequence,” Corgan said. “It’s given people the sense that there was a journey. All I was trying to do was get back to making music that I felt really good about and in my eyes didn’t have any compromise in it. As opposed to working from a place of fear and thinking if we don’t make a really good album, we’re (screwed).”
He talked about the success he had in the past
“I’ve had really intense experiences in my life where I’ve made albums I’ve really believed in and one becomes this massive, crazy worldwide success and one I’m vilified for, and I felt just as strongly about both albums,” Corgan said. “With ‘Adore’ it’s been 14 years and ‘Mellon Collie’ it’s been 18 years. You see where the musical component evens itself out and now you see that both albums are respected equally.”
“Once you’ve had those experiences in public you learn that ultimately the only thing you can really count on is the way that you feel about the music,” he added. “As long as you feel impassioned about the music, the other stuff seems to work itself out.”
Explaining why he brought the band back together:
“We created a particular vision together for what Smashing Pumpkins represented in opposition or in relation to a known music world, which in the late ’80s was sort of predictable,” Corgan explained. “I feel responsible to continue on that legacy of artistic attrition or innovation because I see that strength of what makes the band unique.
“It’s almost a football game with the Pumpkins,” Corgan added. “You can discuss a lot of Xs and Os, and maybe you should’ve run this play and it would’ve been better if so and so was on the team. At the end of the day, it’s more about the franchise and what the franchise represents.
“We play a certain brand of football, and I’m really proud and I’m still carrying that on, and I ask that of the band members,” he said.
At the end Billy pays great praise to Nicole:
“Nicole’s the first bass player I’ve worked with where she is the bass player on the album,” Corgan said. “She’s such a major contributor and it’s such a thrill to work with her. It’s interesting as a composer to hand her something and see her come up with melodies that are counterpunctual in a baroque way but yet they sound like they’re from a different mindsource as opposed to me writing counterpunctual melodies that sound like they come from one mind. I’m proud to work with her.”
