Smashing Pumpkins mastermind William Corgan told the Tennessean that the band's next studio effort is slated for a late 2020 release and will be a double album featuring 21 songs. The new disc will follow up 2018's Shiny And Oh So Bright, Vol. 1: No Past. No Future. No Sun., which was the first Pumpkins recording in over 18 years to feature founding members Jimmy Chamberlin and James Iha alongside Corgan and longtime guitarist Jeff Schroeder.
Corgan says that the 2018 release wasn't precisely an album, explaining, "When we got back together with James, we went in with (producer) Rick Rubin and did eight songs. It was put out as a formal album, but I said at the time — and I did mean it — in my eyes, it wasn't an album. We didn't approach it like we've approached every other album we'd ever done, which is more like making a movie."
He continued, "In many ways, (the new LP) is the first real album (since the reunion) where we've hunkered down and made a classic, 'Let's throw it all at the wall and see what happens' type of Pumpkins record. I've been working on it for over a year. It currently is at 21 songs, and we're going to release it as a double this year."
Corgan added, "It's got a greater conceptual base, and it's probably a wider swath of music . . . I'm excited about this, because we're kind of back in the lane of taking a risk, and trying to bring something new to the table, as opposed to just aping what we're known for."
Three-quarters of the original Pumpkins reunited for the 2018 "Shiny And Oh So Bright Tour," with bassist D'arcy Wretzky opting to sit out the trek after being offered a limited role in the band.