[lemonscure]

Full interview --> http://bassmusicianm...ber-2011-issue/
Interviewer: Andreas Farmakalidis

A: Let’s talk about more recent stuff – hence Smashing Pumpkins. How does Smashing Pumpkins usually work with the songwriting process?

N: Well, I can really only speak for the way that we worked on this record, Oceania, as this is the first album I’ve worked on with them. Generally, Billy will come in with either a song idea or a well-constructed skeleton of a song and we will all jam on it for a while. Once we have all established basic parts we will record what we had and Billy will tinker with that for a while. Usually he will re-work it and we sort of keep tweaking the arrangement and the parts until it is where it’s supposed to be. It’s really great to have those moments where you’ve been working on a song for awhile and it finally just all comes together. There’s nothing more rewarding than those moments to me, except of course playing those songs live for fans!

A: Do you and Mike (Byrne-drums) ever jam out and write as a rhythm section by yourselves? How do you view your relationship as part of the rhythm section?

N: As far as writing parts as the rhythm section, Mike and I are a powerhouse! Usually, we will write our own parts separately and then work through them together to find accent points. So I will re-work my part according to where his accent points are and vice versa. We work really well together on that level. I think we’ve gotten to the point in our relationship where we understand each other’s psychology of how we play. I think that’s super important for live purposes because as a rhythm section, you really have to memorize the other person’s pocket so that you can be totally locked in.

A: Can you describe the relationship between you and the other band members?

N: We all get along really well, and I think there is a mutual respect between the four of us. We are all here for the same reason and we have the same goal in mind. We work really well as a team, which I think can be a very difficult thing to find when it comes to musicians!

A: I totally agree with that! Do you have any advice to give to our readers as well as other musicians/bass players?

N: Practice a lot, stay focused, play music that you are emotionally invested in.

A: Do you have any advice to give to other girls/women that look up to you and want to learn music?

N: It can definitely be more difficult at times for girls/women to be taken seriously in the music industry. Be confident, know your instrument, know your gear and always remember the women before us who paved the path and let that inspire you!

A: Can you tell me more information about the upcoming album? When will it be released?

N: The new album Oceania will be released in Nov. There will be a physical release, that is the plan, but I’m not sure how that will manifest. Either way you will be able to listen to the new songs before the year’s end. Have no fear!

A: Apart from the new album, what will the near future hold for you and the smashing pumpkins? Any tours?

N: Yes, we are actually in rehearsals right now for the fall tour that will include 12 U.S. dates and European shows to follow. This tour is basically going to be the lead up for a long year of touring next year.

A: 1979 & Tonight Tonight were both a critical and commercial success. These tracks were the biggest Smashing Pumpkins hits so far. In addition they define the Smashing Pumpkins style and sound. Do you see the band delving into new territories creatively with the new album currently being written? Do you feel that the new album has something new to offer? Why?

N: I think because we are all working together on this record it is naturally going to have a different vibe than any of the other records on which Billy played most of the instruments himself. I think we delved into new territory for sure, but what I love about this record is that it has that familiar old-school Pumpkins feel to it, with a modern twist. The cool thing is he was able to capture the energy of the old material without ripping it off. Billy’s definitely found his way back to whatever he was tapping into when writing Gish and SD. You can’t explain it, but as a listener, you just know that you connect with it when you hear it. That’s how I felt when I first heard those records and that’s how I feel about this one, albeit it’s a slightly different experience because I actually played on this record!

[Bountiful_Wasteland]

My hopes are up! Hopefully they'll remain this way through the beginning of next year!! http://www.smashingpumpkins.com/board_new/public/style_emoticons/default/jackyl.gif

[JSapp]

This really makes me excited for the new album! And the 2012 tour dates. What a great time to be a pumpkins fan!

[ShamanO]

This gets me even more excited! Nicole is perfect for the band! i love how her and Mike work together on things...

[ItsSoPringles]

It is so good to hear that all 4 band members get along, No matter how good a band gets if the band members dont get along then it will ALWAYS lead to disaster

i also feel as if this record will work better than zeitgeist and TBK(which both i liked) since the band members have gotten to know eachother more and work together longer, they know how each other works and if live shows are to show it seems like the band is having a blast live

i really am hoping this album works itself up to top 3 or 4 albums of SP, for one cause that would be amazing and 2 that it would finally shut up those new SP haters that think everything billy puts out is awful

ive got a really good feeling for this album and i 100% beleive nichole when she says that billy found that spark for when he was wriitng gish and SD cause my love is winter sounds like it was taken directly form that era, i wa slistening to Siamese dream and i could totally see that song fitting on there and even mellon collie as well

im so exited,

[ShamanO]

I just went on a My Love is Winter listening spree

hate that you can't hear all the lyrics...however

I am in love with this song..it is a heartbreaker of a song

this line..."My love is lost" :cry:/>

[Magus]

I'm excited. Things sound good.

[ItsSoPringles]

ShamanO, on 01 October 2011 - 10:04 AM, said:

I just went on a My Love is Winter listening spree

hate that you can't hear all the lyrics...however

I am in love with this song..it is a heartbreaker of a song

this line..."My love is lost" :cry:/>

what makes that song work for me is the lyrics, musically its good but nothing amazing but the lyrics are from the heart and just make the song work, He could turn that song into the happiest thing ever musically but if he kept those lyrics ide still love it grante di think its pretty much impossible to make THAT sound happy

[Magus]

unfortunately, i don't understand most of the lyrics to the song.

as in, i can't hear them clearly.

anyone got a translation?

[ShamanO]

I can't make out too many of the lyrics in several of the youtubes I have watched/listened to. But from what i did catch...

I LOVE IT!!! <3/>

[ItsSoPringles]

i just noticed, does ANYONE, actually dislike this song, it seems pretty unanimous that its a good song,

[ShamanO]

Magus, on 01 October 2011 - 10:19 AM, said:

unfortunately, i don't understand most of the lyrics to the song.

as in, i can't hear them clearly.

anyone got a translation?

here is my guesstimate on some of them

Lonely drive
sides grow dimmer
spellbound .....??????
I take you out

My love is winter
My love is lost

Sudden Falls
.......???????

From the cold
that draws the (plan?)
My love is winter
My love is lost

Should've been wise
Should've been bold
Could've known..???
right from the start

My love is no other
My love is lost

Should've been wise
Should've been bold
Could've ....???

My love is no other
My love is lost

(Secret)or Sacred thought or (home) in my mirror
....??????
there is no rain


My love is winter now
My love is winter's song
My love is winter now
My love is winter's song



(note the ..... and ???? are lines I can not hear)

[ItsSoPringles]

ShamanO, on 01 October 2011 - 10:38 AM, said:

here is my guesstimate on some of them

Lonely drive
sides grow dimmer
spellbound .....??????
I take you out

My love is winter
My love is lost

Silent fall
.......???????

From the cold
that draws the (plan?)
My love is winter
My love is lost

Should've been wise
Should've been bold
could've found god
right from the start

My love is no other
My love is lost

Should've been wise
Should've been bold
Should've found god
right from the start

My love is no other
My love is lost

(Secret)or Sacred thought or (home) in my mirror
....??????
there is no rain


My love is winter now
My love is winter's song
My love is winter now
My love is winter's song



(note the ..... and ???? are lines I can not hear)

[lemonscure]

I tried to wrote down the lyrics from this version:

Lonely draw
Sights grow dimmer
Spell that no
I take the outh

My love is winter
My love is lost

Silent poem
Of passing river
From a cold
That draws their flag

My love is winter
My love is lost

I should have been wise
I should have been cool
I could have found God
If I'd been told that our love was no other

My love is lost

I should have been cool
I should have been calm
I should have found God
If I'd been told that our love was no other

My love is lost

Secret hole in my mirror
Were you told there is no "real"?

My love is winter now
My love is winter's song
My love is winter now
My love is winter's song
My love...

[ShamanO]

:happy:/> thank you for adding

:cheers:/>

[dudehitscar]

nice little interview. I like the fact that they really jammed through the songs as a whole unit for the album. I think that will add a lot to the songs.. maybe give it a band feel that hasn't been in corgan's albums since MCIS (no offense to Adore/Machina).

Her bringing up Gish and Siamese Dream is exciting to think about.. I just hope those vocals are great. Come on billy slap some reverb on it and shout it out!

My love is winter and that bad clip of Quasar seem to support what she is saying. I'm excited but I know there will be controversial elements to the mix. I'm still not so sure the synths are going away.. and while I like them (with one exception Lighting Strikes) I know that will put a lot of people off.

[Fernando]

I think I here some different words in here:

lemonscure, on 01 October 2011 - 10:59 AM, said:

I tried to wrote down the lyrics from this version:

Lonely draw
Sights grow dimmer
Spell that no
I take the outh

My love is winter
My love is lost

Silent poem
Of passing river
From a cold
That draws their flag

My love is winter
My love is lost

I should have been wise
I should have been bold
I could have found God
If I'd been told that our love was no other

My love is lost

I should have been good
I should have been calm
I should have found God
If I'd been told that our love was no other

My love is lost

Sacred hole in my mirror
Were you told there is no "real"?

My love is winter now
My love is winter's song
My love is winter now
My love is winter's song
My love...

[ShamanO]

see we won't know these until the album comes out and hopefully the lyrics are written inside

[orchidaii]

Nicole <3/>

[Gr3g3]

I think a lyric booklet is likely. Read on his twitter recently that he's very happy that the Gish and Siamese Dream reissues are coming with lyric booklet after all the years of misheard lyrics on those albums. BTW, My Love Is Winter is amazing. Can't say anything about Quasar from that muffled mess.

[awsmsc]

ItsSoPringles, on 01 October 2011 - 09:35 AM, said:

No matter how good a band gets if the band members dont get along then it will ALWAYS lead to disaster

"lead to disaster"? I'm confused. Siamese Dream was pretty good.

[cleric]

ShamanO, on 01 October 2011 - 09:31 AM, said:

i love how her and Mike work together on things...

can you elaborate on this?

[Fernando]

awsmsc, on 01 October 2011 - 11:57 AM, said:

"lead to disaster"? I'm confused. Siamese Dream was pretty good.

But you know what happened after it (and I'm not talking about MCIS).

[almightyseancore]

lemonscure, on 01 October 2011 - 08:38 AM, said:

The new album Oceania will be released in Nov. There will be a physical release, that is the plan, but I’m not sure how that will manifest. Either way you will be able to listen to the new songs before the year’s end. Have no fear!

well, it's october, so 1/3rd of this statement is already wrong. let's hope the other 2/3rds aren't.

[Lunatic]

almightyseancore, on 01 October 2011 - 12:43 PM, said:

well, it's october, so 1/3rd of this statement is already wrong. let's hope the other 2/3rds aren't.

What third is wrong?

[ItsSoPringles]

almightyseancore, on 01 October 2011 - 12:43 PM, said:

well, it's october, so 1/3rd of this statement is already wrong. let's hope the other 2/3rds aren't.

what does being in october have anything to do with that statement being wrong

[scorpiopulse]

cleric, on 01 October 2011 - 11:57 AM, said:

can you elaborate on this?

Did you even read the interview?

lemonscure, on 01 October 2011 - 08:38 AM, said:

A: Do you and Mike (Byrne-drums) ever jam out and write as a rhythm section by yourselves? How do you view your relationship as part of the rhythm section?

N: As far as writing parts as the rhythm section, Mike and I are a powerhouse! Usually, we will write our own parts separately and then work through them together to find accent points. So I will re-work my part according to where his accent points are and vice versa. We work really well together on that level. I think we've gotten to the point in our relationship where we understand each other's psychology of how we play. I think that's super important for live purposes because as a rhythm section, you really have to memorize the other person's pocket so that you can be totally locked in.

Also,

almightyseancore, on 01 October 2011 - 12:43 PM, said:

well, it's october, so 1/3rd of this statement is already wrong. let's hope the other 2/3rds aren't.

wtf are you smoking?

[Gr3g3]

Yeah. What? Nothing in that statement is incorrect. November comes AFTER October.

[AlienCloak]

Year long touring next year means no new songs recorded next year.

[almightyseancore]

Gr3g3, on 01 October 2011 - 03:05 PM, said:

Yeah. What? Nothing in that statement is incorrect. November comes AFTER October.

:blah:/>

[Deleted Account]

AlienCloak, on 01 October 2011 - 03:09 PM, said:

Year long touring next year means no new songs recorded next year.

Of course not. Oceania is going to be a real, honest-to-goodness commercial album release. That means release in 2012, touring all year, maybe into the next to support, then MAYBE rehearsing/recording in 2013 for a 2014/15 release. SP is an old band now. They're not governed by a young bands release schedules, and BC has already admitted to shifting gears away from TGBK as originally pitched.

I'm betting Oceania is going to be quite good, and you'd better hope so too, cause it'll be the last big SP release for awhile.

[RottingApples]

almightyseancore, on 01 October 2011 - 03:13 PM, said:

:blah:/>

So which 1/3 was wrong? Don't leave the board hanging.

AlienCloak, on 01 October 2011 - 03:09 PM, said:

Year long touring next year means no new songs recorded next year.

Indeed. So we're looking at at least 2nd half of 2013 before any post-Oceania material comes out.

[almightyseancore]

just assumed last month was november.

it made sense at the time.

[ItsSoPringles]

almightyseancore, on 01 October 2011 - 04:10 PM, said:

just assumed last month was november.

it made sense at the time.

i assumed 2014 was last year, it made sense at the time........cause i was really shitfaced

[Gr3g3]

Is this the same guy who thought it was 2012? #drugsarebad

[gyang333]

almightyseancore, on 01 October 2011 - 04:10 PM, said:

just assumed last month was november.

it made sense at the time.

i don't know if there's anything actually wrong with you... but i feel like you need some sort of rehab or therapy just to be on the safe side.

[almightyseancore]

[gyang333]

lemonscure, on 01 October 2011 - 10:59 AM, said:

I tried to wrote down the lyrics from this version:
Lonely draw
Sights grow dimmer
Spell that no
I take the outh

My love is winter
My love is lost

Silent poem
Of passing river
From a cold
That draws their flag

My love is winter
My love is lost

I should have been wise
I should have been cool
I could have found God
If I'd been told that our love was no other

My love is lost

I should have been cool
I should have been calm
I should have found God
If I'd been told that our love was no other

My love is lost

Secret hole in my mirror
Were you told there is no "real"?

My love is winter now
My love is winter's song
My love is winter now
My love is winter's song
My love...

thanks for doing this! I still think the opening is, 'lonely drive' oh well. who knows, it might change. Remember how someone managed to get a pic of the Tom Tom lyrics as they were played on tour and then Billy said those weren't the final lyrics on the studio release, so who knows how much it's changed in studio

[mayday27]

I think mlw is really artsy. It's build is very unique from other songs. It's like a bunch of small builds to make a big build ( the whole song). It's choppy but it has solos. It's multi textural-ness is so cool. And it's sad but not despairing, it's got a bite to it. It's more resolute. I really like this song too.

Nicolas interview was really good. I love how good she is with navigating challenging relationships and boundaries and making progress a top choice. She comes across as someone who's willing to work hard and wants things to work. She wants it to work and shell find a way to make it work. She got fire but she's also nurturing.

[V_____]

I get:

Lonely drive
sights get dimmer
spellbound all
I take thee out

My love is winter
My love is lost

Silent flow
of passing river
From the cold
the drawls did fly

My love is winter
My love is lost

Should've been cool
Should've been cold
Could've found God
if I'd been told
that I was the other.

My love is lost

Should've been cool
Should've been cold
Could've found God
if I'd been told
that I was the other.

My love is lost.

My love is no other
My love is lost

Secret hole in my mirror
were you told there is no real (or reel?)


My love is winter now
My love is winter's song
My love is winter now
My love is winter's song

[Magus]

cryptic billy lyrics as always.

[V_____]

They're also much stronger lyrics than the past few songs have had. Billy's at his best when he uses a lot of imagery and he had kind of slipped into pure abstractions for a while there. It's very hard to connect with that kind of lyric because there's nothing concrete that comes to mind when he says, for example,

I'm looking for a love, a love that shines
That shines, a love that shines
To be mine, yes, all mine
A love that's mine.

It's all abstractions.

[nasalscarecrow]

Reckon I'll enjoy this collection more than most of the first 10 tracks. Looking forward to it.

[LostSoul]

V_____, on 01 October 2011 - 09:50 PM, said:

I get:

Lonely drive
sights get dimmer
spellbound doors
I take the out

My love is winter
My love is lost

Silent flow
of passing river
From the cold
the drawls did fly

My love is winter
My love is lost

Should've been wise
Should've been bold
Could've found God
if I'd been told (I always thought he said "or bought a new soul" here. maybe my Porcupine Tree fanboy was seeping out :lol:/>)
that I was the other.

My love is lost

Should've been wise
Should've been bold
Could've found God
if I'd been told ^^
that I was the other.

My love is lost.

My love is no other
My love is lost

Secret hole in my mirror
were you told there is no real


My love is winter now
My love is winter's song
My love is winter now
My love is winter's song