Pete Yorn 4/16 at 12pm

Listen: Founding Smashing Pumpkins members release first new song together in two decades


Noam Galai / Stringer / Getty


It has been 18 years since Billy Corgan, James Iha, and Jimmy Chamberlin have put out music together.

Breaking that silent streak is “Solara,” a grungy single produced by Rick Rubin. While it marks the end of a musical dry spell, it doesn’t exactly move anything forward musically for the band.

Notably missing from the credits is bassist and founding member D’Arcy Wretzky. After plenty of back-and-forth between Corgan and Wretzky on the impetus of the feud, the bassist did not appear on the latest song and will not be a part of the upcoming classics tour. Says Wretzky,

Everyone said [Corgan] changed since he had a kid, and he can be very charming, and fun. He’s fun to talk to; I enjoy mental sparring with him. I just was so out of that world for the longest time, I wasn’t aware of a lot of the crazy stuff, like he supports Trump. What? The shapeshifting thing, I honestly think he may have a brain tumor. He’s always been insufferable.

Smashing Pumpkins will embark on the North American Shiny and Oh So Bright tours, playing songs off their first five albums. You can see the network premiere of “Solara” tonight on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.

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