Fruit Bats have announced a new cover album of Smashing Pumpkins’  Siamese Dream that will be released August 21 exclusively on vinyl via Turntable Kitchen’s Sound’s Delicious subscription series. The band also released their cover of the song “Today ” which can be listened to below.

In a press release, Eric D. Johnson discussed the inspiration behind making the cover album “It’s also the first tape I ever listened to while driving a long distance alone. I’m pretty sure my version of this album is based on subconscious memories of that drive. I played all the instruments on this. And no, of course I’m not going to be able to recreate Billy Corgan’s crushing, epic guitar tone. Nor could I dream of touching Jimmy Chamberlin’s floaty (yet ever-shredding) drumming. This version is all about hazy memories for me, and how Corgan’s brilliant pop hooks can travel through time and exist in any possible instrumental configuration.”

The cover album follows 2019’s Gold Past Life, which includes its upbeat title track. Johnson is also a member of The Shins, which they released two new songs last year in honor of former member Richard Swift, who passed away in 2018. The two new songs “Waimanalo” and “Trapped by the Sea” was the band’s first release of new music since 2017’s Heartworms.

Smashing Pumpkins’ Siamese Dream was released in 1993 via Virgin Records and was the band’s sophomore album. It reached the top ten on the Billboard charts and sold over four million copies in the US, and over six million worldwide, solidifying The Smashing Pumpkins as a household name. It spawned four singles, “Cherub Rock”, “Today”, “Disarm”, and “Rocket” and received universal acclaim, with Rolling Stone naming it one of the greatest albums of all time and made many greatest albums of the 1990’s list.

Photo Credit: Kalyn Oyer