Following Jeff Schroeder's departure in October last year, we wondered if Billy Corgan and James Iha would return the Smashing Pumpkins' to a two-guitar lineup, but it seems Jeff's sonic shoes need filling and now they're opening up the opportunity for players to audition.
The decision to publicly launch a search for a new member is a surprising one for a band of the Pumpkins' profile and a call for applicants was made on their official Instagram.
A post shared by The Smashing Pumpkins (@smashingpumpkins)
A photo posted by on
"The Smashing Pumpkins are in search of an additional guitarist," reads the post. "The application process is open to anyone who might be interested. Applicants may submit a resume and related materials to SPGguitar@redlightmanagement.com"
Whoever is picking up that inbox better be ready for the huge task of sifting through potential candidates.
Jeff Schroeder's 16 years with the band saw him carve out a role as a dark horse in the band – a hugely versatile and creative player to follow and support Billy Corgan's ambitious visions.
The band has also followed up its post to reiterate it's only looking for a guitarist, seemingly confirming Jack Bates will be remaining in his role as a touring member. "SP is looking for a guitarist, not a bassist," they commented.
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Rob is the Reviews Editor for GuitarWorld.com and MusicRadar guitars, so spends most of his waking hours (and beyond) thinking about and trying the latest gear while making sure our reviews team is giving you thorough and honest tests of it. He's worked for guitar mags and sites as a writer and editor for nearly 20 years but still winces at the thought of restringing anything with a Floyd Rose.
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