The Smashing Pumpkins Are Looking for a New Guitarist – Here’s How to Apply

2024-01-05

Smashing Pumpkins black and white photo

The Smashing Pumpkins are looking for a new guitarist – Author Charles Ken, Courtesy photo via Jonathan Weiner

It’s not uncommon for a major band to do a public, social post to find a new band member. It’s happened many times in recent years. One instance that stands out to me was when Dutch symphonic metal band Delain put out a social post looking for a new lead singer. Through that post, they found vocalist Diana Leah and made her the lead singer of the band in 2022. Well, now the Smashing Pumpkins are looking for a new guitarist. If you’re a guitarist, you can actually apply.

The Smashing Pumpkins took to social media on Friday (Jan. 5) to post that they’re looking for a new guitarist and want fans to get in touch. “Please send a resume and any related materials to SPGuitar@redlightmanagement.com,” they stated on Instagram. The band also tagged Billy Corgan in the post, so you know he has a big hand in it.

Longtime Pumpkins guitarist Jeff Schroeder left the band in October 2023. This post is the first time the band has publicly said they’re looking to fill Schroeder’s place. So, if you’re a guitarist, send you stuff to SPGuitar@redlightmanagement.com and give it a whirl.

While Schroeder had been playing guitar with the Pumpkins for years, the band’s original guitarist was James Iha. A few years back, Iha rejoined the band, just Schroeder stayed on. He spoke with Audio Ink Radio about what it was like having Iha back.

“It was actually quite easy,” he said. “I would like to say, because it does come up every so often- of course, the natural thing to think is like, well, this guy’s coming back to take his job back. Did that feel threatening to you? But, there was complete transparency the whole time. So, from the second Billy was like, ‘Hey. James has kind of reached out, and we’re talking.’ But, he’s like, ‘If he rejoins a band, you’re going to stay in the band.’ So, it was never a threatening situation in that way.”

Schroeder added that, “James has been incredible to me. I would say that over the years, I consider him a good friend in that we- of course, I’ve have had a long relationship with Billy and Jimmy, but even with James, we just talk on the phone about nothing related to the band and go get dinner and things like that. So, it’s been a really, really wonderful experience.”

Elsewhere in the interview, Schroeder spoke about what it was like working with Billy Corgan. “I feel legends like Billy are born out of that ilk where there is only one person that can be Billy Corgan, and that’s Billy Corgan,” he said. “From the second he plays the guitar, from the second he sings, it’s only one person. And, that’s really inspiring. That takes a lot of courage, devotion and dedication to cultivate that type of uniqueness, because it’s scary. It’s vulnerable, whereas it’s easier to copy other people. Right? But to be completely unique and be yourself is the hardest thing to do. And, he’s been quite successful at it.”

Charles Ken
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Posted by Charles Ken | Alternative, Music, Rock News

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