The Smashing Pumpkins frontman Billy Corgan recently discussed his approach to songwriting and the prospect of writing a new album that channels the spirit of Siamese Dream, the band's iconic 1993 release.
For Corgan, it's not a question of capability but of intent: "It's not a matter of whether or not he can, but whether or not he wants to," he said. While he's confident he could capture the sound of that era if he chose to, his focus is on finding authenticity in his current work.
In a recent interview with Premier Guitar, Corgan spoke about how he approaches songwriting, sharing that he prefers to stay connected to "whatever's happening at the moment" rather than recreating the past for nostalgia's sake. "I think it's more trying to find something that seems to signify whatever's happening at the moment. It's a truthfulness," he explained, emphasizing that he aims to create music that speaks to his feelings in the present.
Corgan added, "You could say to me, ‘Hey, play me some Siamese-type thing that you would've done in ‘92,' and in five minutes, I could write you something that would sound like a song that would've been a Siamese song in ‘92."
"I can dial in any era of the band or my writing at will, because they're all based on methodologies and certain emotional templates," he explains. "So, I'm trying to do that for today. What is the 2024 version of that that makes me feel something — anything at all?"
Beyond songwriting, Corgan shared insights into his relationship with the guitar, an instrument he typically approaches with an exploratory mindset rather than as a daily routine. "If I pick up a guitar, I'm looking to play something that surprises me. It's whatever comes out," he said. "And sometimes you hit the wrong chord and go, ‘Oh, that's interesting.' Or you find a new inversion or something that you never thought of before. You try to play a different scale run than you've played 10,000 times, always landing on the same note. It's just looking for something just a little bit new."
The musician finds his most meaningful moments with the guitar often come in moments of solitude, creating a unique space for self-reflection and surprise. "I find oftentimes, in that quiet solitude of just you and the guitar, this communication can happen that sort of expresses something about yourself that is surprising – an emotional feeling or a way of approach," he concluded.
