Smashing Pumpkins’ Billy Corgan: ‘I Still Haven’t Been in a Room With D’Arcy Wretzky for 19 Years’
As the rumors of a potential classic Smashing Pumpkins lineup reunion became more prominent earlier this year, the eventual tour announcement was almost overshadowed more by the decision to exclude bassist D'Arcy Wretzky. During a recent chat with Lars Ulrich for Ulrich's It's Electric! Beats 1 show, Billy Corgan addressed the blow-up, initially stating his reluctance to feed into the tabloid nature of the conflict, but eventually revealing why it didn't work out.
In the newly released video clip, Corgan initially starts talking about the thawing of his conflict with James Iha and how Iha playing on his solo record really started to break the ice to where they could eventually work together under the Pumpkins name.
"For me being in a band is like being in a family and the family rules apply more than the band rules," says Corgan, adding, "Family comes first and all the bullshit comes second."
As for Wretzky, the singer commented, "I spent two years before all [the conflict this year] trying to repair my relationship [with Wretzky], and every time I tried to get in a room with her ... so I still haven’t been in a room with her for 19 years."
He continues, “Only when it became obvious that it wasn’t the way she wanted it to be, it turned into this thing that turned very reminiscent of the past ... People saw, releasing private messages."
The vocalist says it's important to remember that the music, and not the drama, is at the core of what they do. “The thing that keeps you on the rudder is the music and the fact that somehow when the three of us come together, this magical thing happens that’s bigger than me and I have no problem admitting that," says Corgan. "And if that’s not your guiding principle, then it’s a shitty reality show. And we don’t want the shitty reality show, we really don’t. We’d rather just stay on the music, and if we can do that, great.”
The Smashing Pumpkins lineup including Corgan, Iha and Chamberlin along with modern day Pumpkin Jeff Schroeder will hit the road beginning July 12 in Glendale, Ariz. with the focus on the band's early era albums. See all of their scheduled stops here.
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