BILLY CORGAN Says Reunion Of Original SMASHING PUMPKINS Lineup 'Has Been Knocked About'

SMASHING PUMPKINS founding member and main songwriter Billy Corgan has hinted at a reunion of the band's original lineup.

Corgan has been touring under the SMASHING PUMPKINS name for several years with a newer lineup of musicians, although drummer Jimmy Chamberlin rejoined the band two years ago.

More significantly, Corgan confirmed last year that he had repaired his friendship with original bassist D'Arcy Wretzky, after not speaking for nearly two decades. With Chamberlin back in the band already and guitarist James Iha joining them onstage for the first time in sixteen years in early 2016, a reunion of the group's original lineup appears to be imminent.

"[A reunion tour] has been knocked about," Corgan tells Rolling Stone. "There's certainly gears that turn and things get waved around, but until it's inked, I'm in the dark as much as anybody … But I'll say this and I mean it: If we never play a note together again, that's okay. I'm way, way more interested in the fact that we have peace with each other. I've reached the point in my life where I'm not in a hurry to get to anything. If it's there, great. If it's not, cool."

Corgan is happy to have reconnected with his former bandmates on a personal level. "Communicating solely through the fog of media is obviously not the best way to communicate in the era of fake news," Corgan says. "Often times I would try to explain to people that the issues were more familial than they were musical. People just don't believe you. Maybe because they don't want to since it's not as interesting."

He attributes the original band's split to the fact that "we were in a pressure cooker for thirteen, fourteen years. We were literally together almost non-stop for a long time," he says. "We did a lot of work and we put ourselves through some crazy shit. When the family thing broke, it was one of those things like, 'Hey, have you talked to your cousin?' 'Eh, I love him, but you know, whatever.' So it was like that for a long time, and now that that's over, and the family thing is resolved, it's awesome."

The original SMASHING PUMPKINS lineup last played together on April 24, 1999 in Los Angeles.

Corgan's new, Rick Rubin-produced solo album "Ogilala", is due out October 13 via BMG.