D’arcy Wretzky, the former bassist of The Smashing Pumpkins, is back in the studio 20 years after her last session. Wretzky is now working with doom metal band Grave Next Door. Despite the bassist leaving The Smashing Pumpkins two decades ago, most of the members of the classic lineup have reuinted for a new album and tour. Billy Corgan, James Iha and Jimmy Chamberlin––the original singer, guitarist and drummer respectively––released the album Shiny And Oh So Bright, Vol. 1/LP: No past. No future. No Sun. this past November and are currently recording new music for 2019, without inviting Wretzky back to perform with them.
The decision for The Smashing Pumpkins to continue without Wretzky has sparked continuous drama and may be a contributing factor to the band’s tour dates selling poorly. The band’s kickoff performance in Glendale, Arizona, featured a video of highlights from the group in the 90s, but did not include any images of Wretzky, or her replacement, Melissa Auf der Maur. In one instance, a fan asked Corgan to perform a song that Wretzky originally sang lead vocals for, to which Corgan responded, “Statues can’t sing.”
Wretzky, however, seems unbothered by The Smashing Pumpkin’s decision to cut her out of the group and is moving forward, recording with Grave Next Door. The band is currently working on new music to hopefully roll out later in the year, adding Wretzky’s alt bass lines to their grunge aesthetic.
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