Billy Corgan, singer of the iconic 1990s alt-rock band the Smashing Pumpkins and for beloved side project Zwan, recently revealed the coming of a Zwan box set, featuring 65 unreleased songs.
The news came during an interview with Rolling Stone to discuss the looming release of the new Smashing Pumpkins album, ATUM: A Rock Opera In Three Parts. ATUM will be a 33 song-epic and follow in the footsteps of the Pumpkins’ previous albums Mellon Collie And The Infinite Sadness and Machina/The Machines Of God. This year also marks the 20th anniversary of Zwan’s lone album release, Mary Star Of The Sea, but unfortunately fans have not been able to revisit the music on streaming services.
With the news of the Zwan box set, fans will finally have their chance to dive into the back catalog. When asked about the possibility of a reissue, Corgan told Rolling Stone “I’m working on the box set right now. I think there are 65 unreleased songs.” According to Corgan, even more, era gems might emerge from the archives.
For a musician with as tumultuous a career as Corgan’s, this news was no small feat. After the dissolution of Zwan in 2003, Corgan shelved his creative ambitions until 2006 and the formation of the short-lived band Zeitgeist. Following that, the time for the “most iconic” of the alternative rock bands (The Rolling Stones) was upon us with the Smashing Pumpkins’ successful reunion tour in 2007.
Proof positive that Corgan’s creativity has been dialed up a notch again in recent years, his fans will now be preparing to dive into the massive Zwan box set collection. With such a wealth of delightfully unheard music, the release is sure to satisfy the long-time craving of fans seeking a return to the familiar sounds of this iconic band.