The Smashing Pumpkins announce new album, release two new songs

Original Smashing Pumpkins members Billy Corgan, James Iha, and Jimmy Chamberlin regrouped (with guitarist Jeff Schroeder, who’s been in the band since 2007) in 2018 for Shiny and Oh So Bright, Vol. 1 / LP: No Past. No Future. No Sun., their their first album with all three of those musicians involved since 2000’s Machina albums. It won’t be another 18 years before they appear on wax together again, though; they’ve just confirmed a new album coming out via their new label home, Sumerian Records. While things like title and release date are TBA, they did just release two new singles, “Cyr” and “The Colour of Love.” Shiny and Oh So Bright saw the band trying to recreate their classic ’90s alt-rock sound, but these songs are gothy synthpop tracks that sound more like classic Depeche Mode than classic Smashing Pumpkins.

“Cyr is dystopic folly,” says Billy Corgan, “one soul against the world sort of stuff, set against a backdrop of shifting loyalties and sped up time. To me it stands as both hopeful and dismissive of what is and isn’t possible with faith.” You can listen to both and watch the “Cyr” video below.