Billy Corgan’s Smashing Pumpkins have been busy of late – but that hasn’t stopped him planning a tour for the summer with his solo band Machines of God. Given his tendency to color outside the lines, he likes to work with equally open-minded bandmates like bassist Jenna Fournier, who, in addition to her band Niights, records under the name Kid Tigrrr.
She describes herself as “a multifaceted working artist,” explaining: “I have the passion that comes from the soul’s abyss and draws from my own experiences. I also do session work, art commissions, and ghostwriting, as well as other projects, to support the work I want to create and the stories I want to tell.”
Corgan’s Return to Zero summer tour – which celebrates Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness and the Pumpkins' two Machina albums – kicks off in June.
“The focus and memorizing are the hardest part for me personally,” Fournier says of her preparation. “And the newest material from Aghori, is certainly not as easy as pumpkin pie. Pie with a side of metal. My teeth hurt!”
How did you first meet Billy?
“It was after auditioning for a project he was working on. He threw out a sort of casting call to his fans, as he sometimes does, and I sent some clips of my guitar playing and original material. So began a rapport.
“He asked if I’d be interested in trying out on bass for this tour, and the timing was divine. I could pour myself into the music. My audition in LA was our first time playing together.”
Did you grow up with the Pumpkins albums you’ll be playing?
“I once reminded my former label, who felt our album was not cohesive, that the Smashing Pumpkins took over the world with an incredibly dynamic double album that traversed genres.
“I stuck to my guns because Smashing Pumpkins taught me that music doesn’t have to fit neatly into a box with a nice little label on it. The aesthetic and layers of symbolism surrounding these albums have inspired me as a visual artist as well.”
What drew you to the bass?
“I’m more of a guitar player, but I taught myself guitar by playing notes on one string – like a bass would be played – before I learned some chords and then got into pedals.
“The first time I auditioned for a band, it was as a bassist. A friend loaned me one and taught me how to play it. I was 19, living alone in Las Vegas, answering ads in the paper, just trying to get into a project. I do not recommend this!
“It’s been fun moving back onto the bass – it feels like things are coming full circle in a strange way; and the bass feels very natural, albeit a lot heavier. I feel kinda naked without my pedalboard, but I do enjoy standing in front of my cabs and really feeling the bass in my body.”
Has D’Arcy Wretzky been a big influence on you?
“She still empowers me today as I learn all this material, alongside the other women Billy has had on stage over the years. Representation truly matters! D'Arcy was laid back and so intrinsically cool: ‘I am the cucumber; I am the walrus.’”
Tone is important when it comes to the Pumpkins’ music. How will your rig reflect that?
“I’ll be playing the Yamaha BB7, the same model Jack Bates uses in Smashing Pumpkins. We don’t use pedals for this music, so the tone is really sculpted from the bass itself and the amp.”
Has Billy offered any advice on how to tackle the songs?
“He’s provided a few files with the bass cranked. I’m also studying live clips and recordings.”
I think it’s healthy for me to sometimes step away from myself. It keeps me challenged and expands my horizons
Have you gotten to talk with Kiki Wong yet?
“Yes, and I already adore her for her work ethic and shining positivity... a very inspiring mega-babe!”
What’s the latest with your music?
“I recently released Stoned + Animald, my debut solo album as Kid Tigrrr, on Billy’s label Martha’s Music. It’s a sort of shoegazey, bedroom dream-pop indie hybrid. I recorded and produced a lot of it from home.
“It’s a new approach after a decade of Niights, which is very collaborative. It’s more experimental and quite personal. I have a lot of songs written and waiting to be recorded – I plan to get back to them after the tour and continue exploring DIY production.”
You aren’t strictly a bassist; how would you describe yourself in full spectrum?
“A lot of my work is about processing and healing from traumatic experiences – ‘exploring the human condition’ type of thing. I think it’s healthy for me to sometimes step away from myself. It keeps me challenged and expands my horizons.
“Sometimes the worlds bleed into each other. Sometimes I obey the whims of the muses; other times I grind away at one project with a sort of tunnel vision. But I’m almost always learning or experimenting or creating.”
Is this a one-off with Billy, or is there potential for more?
“I’m really not sure at this point, but I hope this one will go great and lead to more! After the tour I’ll go back to my little dog and my hermit cave of wonders.”
- Corgan’s Machines of God tour kicks off on June 7. Kid Tigrrr’s Stoned + Animald is on sale now.
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