The Daily Swarm

Spinner [via Google cache]:

The Smashing Pumpkins will begin recording new material later this spring, according to drummer Jimmy Chamberlin, but fans looking for a proper follow-up album to last year’s ‘Zeitgeist’ may be out of luck.

“It’s something we’re going to get to on May 1st,” Chamberlin tells Spinner. “We just bought a building, and my wife and I are in the process of moving back to Chicago. Billy [Corgan] and I are going to start working every day like we used to.

“But I don’t think we will make records again,” the drummer explains, pointing out that the band’s contractual commitment to Reprise Records is finished. “I look at it like the old business model is dead and the music business doesn’t know how to move forward. We want to keep things vital and keep things viable and get our music across while remaining relevant. Music has in many ways just become an advertisement for your tour.

“I think what we’ll do is start releasing songs,” Chamberlin continues. “The record or CD format places too many limitations on your piece of art. People just don’t buy records anymore. Anyone under the age of 24 just buys songs. It’s just in our best interest to release blocks of songs. And I think what we’ll do – not to let the cat out of the bag too much – is to create the framework where we can release a number of songs and maybe create a title. We can gather three or four songs, but it will all flow up to a larger body of work. But to call it record in the traditional sense would be anachronistic.”

Guitar Center interview:

GC: You guys have seen some pretty dramatic shifts in the music business. What’s good and what’s bad about Smashing Pumpkins and the music business today?

Corgan: Well, I’d say the best thing is that we’re out of a label deal – totally free agents. We we’re just talking about how we’re going to start addressing our artistic relationships with the world in a different manner because we don’t have to go through some parental structure of “we don’t like it and it’s not going to sell” – you know? We’re excited about the prospects of sort of being our own business people in terms of how it interrelates business.

GC: Basically, you’re cutting out the middleman.

Corgan: And that’s the best part. I think in this world you don’t even need distribution. I mean, look, what’s great is, if you want to put out your shit for free on MySpace, you can. You don’t need anybody. You don’t need anybody inputting. And if it’s not MySpace, it would be somebody else, so.