The Smashing Pumpkins announced earlier this month that they were looking for a new guitarist after longtime third strummer Jeff Schroeder announced his departure after more than 16 years with the group. But, after putting out open call on Jan. 5 for a fresh face, according to a post from the Billy Corgan-led band on Tuesday night (Jan. 16) they’e been inundated with way more applicants than anyone could have anticipated.
“The band has received over 10,000 submissions for the position of additional guitarist,” read a tweet featuring a photo of three original members Corgan, drummer Jimmy Chamberlin and guitarist James Iha. The pile of audition tapes are so voluminous, in fact, that the post noted that there are currently “8 people working full-time to review each and every one.”
The Pumpkins were formed in Chicago in 1988 by Corgan and Iha, who were later joined by bassist D’arcy Wretzky and jazz drummer Jimmy Chamberlin — who replaced their original drummer, a drum machine. After rising to global fame and releasing a series of iconic indie rock albums such as Siamese Dream and the multi-platinum, two-disc Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness, the band fired Chamberlin in 1996 due to the drummer’s arrest on drug charges — and then re-hired him in 1999 — before splitting with Wretzky that same year. The original group broke up in 2000, at which point Corgan said he would not perform the band’s songs again.
The Pumpkins came back together in 2007 with Corgan and Chamberlin serving as the only remaining original members, joined by guitarist Schroeder, though Chamberlin would take leave again just two years later. Corgan continued to release new music with a rotating cast of players, with Chamberlin and Iha returning to the fold in 2018, though Wretzky did not sign on to the nearly complete reunion.
On Jan. 5, the band announced it needed a new guitarist to replace Schroeder, writing, “The Smashing…
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