Smashing Pumpkins: 'We're more a concept than a band'

Smashing Pumpkins frontman Billy Corgan has spoken out about the sound of the band's upcoming albums as well as their touring plans, adding that they're 'less of a band and more of a concept' these days.

The alt-rock heroes are gearing up to release their new album Monuments To An Elegy on 9 December, featuring none other than Motley Crue drummer Tommy Lee.

So would it be safe to say that the album has something for all eras of Pumpkins?

"I don't know," said Corgan. "I really don't know what qualifies for the past or present. In America, we have this all-pervasive problem that everyone wants to relive the past constantly, in British culture it's all about future future future and it moves on quite quickly. Somewhere in between there lives my musical life."

He continued: "I don't really know what to think. I don't follow trends - I gave that up a long time ago. I think that's for youth culture. When you're young, you're comparing yourself to who got this slot at Glastonbury and who's doing what, but you get past a certain point and it's really about having some dignity for yourself and charting a musical path. Some of my heroes, whether it's Led Zeppelin or The Beatles - they did all those things long ago and so it still can be done."

Asked about what kind of energy Tommy Lee brought to the record, Corgan replied: "Tommy brings that vivacious immediacy to anything that he does, and it's kind of cool because he brings a more open drum sound to Pumpkins, whereas usually the drums are quite busy and complex. He does it so massively and until you see him do it in person, you don't really understand how brilliant it is."

When quizzed on when the band may return to the UK for live shows, Corgan said that we may see them before the end of the year, and that the line-up could remain fluid. 

"We've talked about coming over and doing a record release show, maybe in December with some special guests, but we're trying to plan that now," he said. "We're not totally sure. 

"The Pumpkins these days, we don't really consider it a band any more, it's more like a concept. If we were going to come over next summer and do a festival run, we'd maybe just put together a band for that, so that's just kind of the approach we're taking these days."

Monuments To An Elegy is due for release on 9 December, and is the first of two new Pumpkins LPs due in the next year. See the full tracklist below.

01. Being Beige (World’s on Fire)
02. Anti-Hero
03. Tiberius
04. Run to Me
05. One and All
06. Drum and Life
07. Dorian
08. Monuments
09. Anaise