The Smashing Pumpkins took advantage of the COVID lockdowns by composing and recording a Christmas album. Drummer Jimmy Chamberlin revealed this creative endeavor and also shared that the band is currently focusing on developing a rock album with strong guitar elements.
During a conversation with SiriusFX, Chamberlin spoke about his collaboration with vocalist Billy Corgan throughout the pandemic period. He explained that their close proximity allowed for a seamless partnership: “I have a studio at my house, and Billy has a studio at his. We live 20 minutes away from each other, which makes it easy for us to visit one another’s homes quickly,” he said [via Consequence].
Throughout the pandemic, the pair managed to produce nearly 80 songs, including the tracks for 2020’s ‘Cyr’ and the recently released ‘ATUM.’ They also tackled a “psychedelic record” that had been waiting in the wings and the aforementioned Christmas album. Chamberlin appreciated the opportunity to have an uninterrupted creative period, noting that it’s rare to have large blocks of time without external obligations.
Corgan had previously shared that he paid a hacker to prevent the release of new Smashing Pumpkins music, with the FBI getting involved. The musician noted that the hacker possessed material from other artists as well. Thankfully, the situation was resolved, and no unauthorized releases occurred.
Although there’s no specific release date for the Christmas or psychedelic albums, Corgan confirmed that the band is already in the studio working on their 13th record. In a Kerrang! Radio interview, he described the upcoming album as “a straight-up rock and roll guitar record,” reminiscent of 1993’s ‘Siamese Dream’ and 1995’s ‘Mellon Collie And The Infinite Sadness.’ The band plans to make it a single record, rather than a double album.
#SmashingPumpkins #ChristmasAlbum #COVID #PandemicCreativity #NewAlbum #RockRecord
