Dubya

from RollingStone.com
Billy Corgan announced this morning that Zwan, the band he started two years ago, have broken up.
"I think my heart was in Smashing Pumpkins," Corgan told a local news affiliate in Chicago this morning. "I think it was naive of me to think that I could find something that would mean as much to me. I enjoyed my experience in Zwan, but at the end of the day, without that sense of deeper family and loyalty, it becomes like anything else. In some cases I felt that the band members viewed it as something they could decide to do or not to do."

Corgan started the band after the December 2000 breakup of the Pumpkins. He enlisted Pumpkins drummer Jimmy Chamberlin, guitarists Matt Sweeney and David Pajo, and bassist Paz Lenchantin in late 2001 and the band released its debut, Mary Star of the Sea in January 2003.

Corgan's comments about band loyalty might center around Pajo, who fronted his own band, Papa M, in addition to Zwan duty. In early August, Lenchantin left Zwan to dedicate more time to Pajo's band.

With Zwan's demise, so goes Djali Zwan, an acoustic incarnation of the same band. In March, Corgan told Rolling Stone that he was going to film and record the band this fall for a CD and DVD due next year, but those plans have presumably been scrapped.

And though Corgan said in March that he "love[s] the romance and safety of a band," when asked this if he would be starting a new group, Corgan responded, "I'm thirty-six, I'm ready for a solo career."

Before that, though, Corgan plans to immerse himself in a non-musical venture. On Wednesday, he'll present some of his poetry as part of a multi-media presentation at the thirty-first annual Reading Series for the Poetry Center of Chicago. Corgan has also been shopping a collection of poetry around to publishers.

Meatpants

Well that didn't take long. That's 3 female bass players in a row Billy's screwed out of a job

Cyberock

Do I hear a Smashing Pumpkins reunion coming soo? He did say in the article...

"I think my heart was in Smashing Pumpkins,"

darqleo

Eh I'm tired of all-star bands anyway. They seemed so pieced together with no real drive.

Josh-da-man

Ah, Billy Corgan, the tempermental artiste...

Dacoops3

I guess he realized that Zwan wasn't as "profitable" as everyone thought.

The Antipodean

No! Nooo! NOOOOOOO!!!!!!


Wait, who's Zwan? :P

B.A.

Well, if he goes solo - hopefully Jimmy will keep playing the drums for him.

lostatmidnight

not a big surprise, considering all the silent intrique that was drifting about over the last few months with departures and this and that...I just always thought he would go solo right after the Pumpkins dissolved, because, well, we all sort of know the Pumpkins were his solo 'band' to begin with .

KenobiKid22

That kind of sucks, I really enjoyed the Zwan album. It was no SP but still a good album. I would love to see the Pumpkins get back together, even it was just to play a few shows.

Brain Stew

Dude,

I saw ZWAN in Philly last March, and it was the greatest rock show I'd ever seen. SP and ZWAN were pretty much just Corgan solo bands anyhow, so I will eagerly await the solo material.

Hollowgen

waaaaaaaaaah. yeah billy, it's all their fault.

Jackskeleton

Billy lost my respect when he bashed NIN, tori and other 90's bands stating that they didn't bring about the revolution of music and the bands faded away or split up.

mkdevo

amen to that!

Numanoid

I blame the name.

AndyCapps

Heh, I didn't even know Corgan was in Zwan until today.

SpaceBoy

I would love to see Corgan go solo. I got a few accoustic shows he did at teh viper room and stuff like that, and it's good stuff..

THen again, I would def be lining up to get some pumpkins tickets again

I never really could get into Zwan, even though I did make an effort, seeing them a few times etc.

Grimfarrow

Yeah...well, that's exactly what happened though. But then, SP went the same way, so maybe he just predicted his own fate.

Interestingly, this is Billy's first admission that *two* SP members were on drugs. Is this a tacit admission that D'Arcy left due to drugs as well? It can't be Johnathan Melvoin, since Billy never considered him truly a Pumpkin.

Brain Stew

Probably. She was picked up in Chicago for trying to buy crack shortly after she was kicked out of the band.

I don't see why so many people are angry with the statement. The grunge/alternative movement of the 90s failed. Just like hardcore movement of the 80s failed, and the punk movement of the 70s failed, and the hippie movement of the 60s failed.

We all expected great change when Nirvana and Pearl Jam became huge. But 10 ten years later, what are we left with?Some of the great music ever written, but most people don't care because it isn't prepackaged with an accompanying reality television show.

lostatmidnight

you're exactly right...every generation fails in some way, but something beautiful is hopefully created and is sustained for later ones. 'prepackaged...' can be said of any of the major art forms these days because if it is not dumbed down for mass human consumption, nobody want's it---well at least those in power who distribute.

Pearl Jam still continues making great albums both sonically and even artistically...they will never make Ten again (thank god) and that is what pisses people off...

anyway, I didn't get into the Zwan album too much, it is good, but it was a let down...I see a billy solo album in the future.

gerrythedon

...
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Billy Corgan Begins Work On Solo LP

Former Smashing Pumpkins/Zwan leader Billy Corgan has begun work on his solo debut, according to posts by the artist on his official Web site. "I am excited to work on this music, because for the first time in my life it will be my tunes with no compromises to anyone or anything," he writes. "It's gonna be loud and beautiful and poetic and dumb. Just the way I like it."

While Corgan will be guiding the project, he alluded to participation from other artists. "I come in with no songs but maybe one or two, no lyrics, no band (but a few Santa's helpers lined up) and no dairy," he said. Perhaps in reference to long-standing rumors that he erased the studio work of his Smashing Pumpkins bandmates in favor of re-recording their parts himself, he said, "some would argue that it's not my first [solo album], and I wouldn't argue with you there."

Zwan broke up less than a year after the early 2003 release of its Warner Bros. debut, "Mary, Star of the Sea." This time around, Corgan says he is looking forward to "starting over from such a fresh perspective that there is nothing to rely on but my good name. I am being honest when I say I am ready for that and love the challenge and relish the mustard."

A Warner Bros. spokesperson did not know if the label will release Corgan's album.

In the weeks ahead, Corgan will release a book of poetry, about which he reports, "I don't have a title yet. Any suggestions? How about 'Sensitive Rhymes and Crimes of the Heart' or some sh*t like that? Ha. Welcome to the real me." As previously reported, Corgan also guests on Swedish rock act Blindside's new album, "About a Burning Fire," due Feb. 24.

[Billboard.com]

BRIAN 1972

only A Perfect Cirlcle & Golden Smog are the exception to this rule for me.

jay77a

Good luck Billy.

Andalusia

Really, how loyal was Billy to his bandmates in Smashing Pumpkins? I liked the Pumpkins (up to "Adore" or so), but wasn't it really the Billy Corgan show from the start? Going so far as to record over James Iha and D'arcy with his own playing (on "Siamese Dream", if not other albums as well).

I also hope he gets Jimmy to keep drumming with him.

dpganz

Heh heh... he said "relish the mustard"