Billy Corgan is a guy who knows a thing or two about reinvention. Whether he’s pushing the boundaries of alternative rock with The Smashing Pumpkins or striking out on his own, Corgan’s music has always been more than just guitar riffs and angst—it’s a philosophy, a way of processing the chaos of life.
His latest solo record is a departure from his usual dense, layered sound. It’s bare, sparse, and surprisingly vulnerable. “I like it,” Corgan admits, “but I don’t know if I would have made those decisions on my own. Sometimes you need an outside opinion to get you somewhere new.” Credit producer Rick Rubin for convincing him to strip things down. “It’s more commensurate to the way I write and hear music when I’m working on it. It feels like showing everyone your film script instead of the finished movie.”
But Corgan’s never been one to over-intellectualize his work. In fact, he’s learned the hard way that trying to over-explain just muddies the waters. “Sometimes you put ghosts in where they don’t belong,” he says. “You start saying too much, and it just becomes something else.” That’s why he’s dialed back his tendency to analyze and just lets the music speak for itself.
The idea of home comes up often on this record—a mythical concept for Corgan, especially in a world where instability and fear are constantly looming. “Home is really a mythological idea,” he says. “It’s where you feel resolved. But a lot of life feels unresolved. People die, things happen that you can’t anticipate. Every time you go to a big event, you wonder, ‘Is this safe?’ That’s the world we’re living in now.”
Reclaiming the Pumpkins’ Legacy
Of course, it wouldn’t be a conversation with Corgan without bringing up The Smashing Pumpkins. Though there’s been endless speculation about band reunions and collaborations, Corgan’s surprisingly at peace with leaving the past behind. “There’s very little about the band on this record,” he says. “Maybe that’s a good thing. I feel like I’ve made those records already. In my day-to-day life, I actually think about the band very little.”
That doesn’t mean he’s abandoned the Pumpkins altogether. The 2014 album Monuments to an Elegy marked a new chapter, a pop-leaning record that’s concise and catchy. Corgan admits it was about staying competitive. “We’re up against these pop stars who are ruthless,” he laughs. “At the end of the day, if you put good alternative music in front of a kid versus some shallow pop song, they’re going to pick Nirvana or The Beatles. That’s just how it is.”
But keeping up with changing tastes isn’t about chasing trends. “I never believed in that ‘sellout’ stuff,” he says. “I’d rather make music that people like. That’s the greatest marketing tool. The rest is just noise.”
Fueling the Fire
For a guy whose output is famously relentless, Corgan has an almost zen approach to creativity. “You have to trust why you were given a particular gift,” he says. “Go back to the thing that made you love it in the first place.” That philosophy has carried him through decades of changing musical landscapes and evolving personal lives, including fatherhood and running a tea shop.
One of the more interesting aspects of Corgan’s solo journey is how it’s brought back a spontaneity he felt was lost with the Pumpkins. “Playing solo puts me back in that place where I can interpret the music however I feel in the moment,” he says. “It’s way more improvisational—like the old days.”
He’s learned to embrace having multiple passions outside of music, something that used to feel almost blasphemous. “At one point, music was all I did, and it felt like a millstone around my neck,” he says. “Having other interests made me appreciate music more when I was in it. It’s like learning how to use your time and energy economically.”
Pushing Forward
Even as he acknowledges the darker aspects of modern life, Corgan remains cautiously optimistic. “The world will become a better place when the world decides it wants to be a better place,” he muses. “It’s a collective decision. One person can’t stop madness, but we all bear some responsibility for the world we’ve created.”
Whether he’s pushing the boundaries of rock with The Smashing Pumpkins or finding new ways to be vulnerable in his solo work, Corgan’s staying power comes from his willingness to keep evolving—musically and personally. And as long as he’s chasing something real, he’s not too worried about how it’s received. “Music is an emotional thing,” he says simply. “You just have to trust it.”
Listen to the interview above and then check out their 2015 interview below!
