The Smashing Pumpkins announced earlier this month that they are looking for a new guitarist after longtime third strummer Jeff Schroeder announced his departure after more than 16 years with the group. But after putting out an open call on January 5 for a new face, according to a post from the Billy Corgan-led band on Tuesday night (January 16) they've been inundated with far more applicants than expected.
“The band has received over 10,000 submissions for the additional guitarist position,” read a tweet that included a photo of three original members of Corgan, drummer Jimmy Chamberlin and guitarist James Iha. The pile of audition tapes is so massive, in fact, that the post noted that there are currently “8 people working full-time to review each one.”
The Pumpkins were formed in Chicago in 1988 by Corgan and Iha, who were later joined by bassist D'arcy Wretzky and jazz drummer Jimmy Chamberlin — who replaced their original drummer, a drum machine. After reaching worldwide fame and releasing a series of iconic indie rock albums such as Siamese Dream and the multi-platinum, two-disc Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness, the band fired Chamberlin in 1996 due to the drummer's arrest on drug charges — then rehired him in 1999 — before parting ways with Wretzky that same year. The original group broke up in 2000, at which point Corgan said he would not perform the band's songs again.
The Pumpkins got back together in 2007 with Corgan and Chamberlin serving as the only remaining original members, along with guitarist Schroeder, though Chamberlin would again take a leave of absence just two years later. Corgan continued to release new music with a rotating cast of players, with Chamberlin and Iha returning to the fold in 2018, though Wretzky didn't sign off on the near-full reunion.
On January 5, the band announced that they needed a new guitarist to replace Schroeder, writing: “Smashing Pumpkins are looking for an additional guitarist. The application process is open to anyone who may be interested. Applicants may submit resumes and related materials to SPGuitar@redlightmanagement.com.” Schroeder's last show with the group was a blast Siamese Dream in celebration of the album's 30th anniversary on September 17, 2023 at Corgan's Madame's ZuZu's Teahouse in Highland Park, IL.
In a note to fans at the time of his departure, Schroeder said: “It's easy to say now that when I joined The Smashing Pumpkins in 2007 I had no idea what I was getting myself into. The opportunity seemed to come out of nowhere. I was at UCLA working on my PhD in comparative literature when a close friend texted me and said the Smashing Pumpkins were looking for a guitarist. Being a huge fan of the band, the audition was something I threw myself into. It was one of the best decisions I've made in my life.”
He added, “The number of incredible memories made over the past 16 years with the band are almost too many to quantify. Although it was a very difficult decision to make, I decided to leave the band to make some space to explore a slightly different path. I want to thank Billy, Jimmy, James and Jack for being great partners and even better friends. I will miss sharing the stage with you. I wish the band every success in the future. I will watch and listen.”
The Pumpkins are set to hit the road for The World is Vampire European Summer tour on June 7 in Birmingham, UK on a run that will include support from Weezer, Interpol and Tom Morello. They will then move on to a supporting role on Green Day's summer Saviors tour, which will cross North America with Rancid and The Linda Lindas.
Check out Pumpkins post below.
from our partners at https://www.billboard.com/music/rock/smashing-pumpkins-10000-applications-guitarist-1235582529/
