“It made me realize how grateful I am to have the guitar in my life”: I applied to be the new Smashing Pumpkins guitarist – I didn’t get the gig, but it was one of the most life-affirming experiences of my musical career

The Smashing Pumpkins kicked off 2024 with one of the year’s biggest industry stories, announcing an open application process for a new guitarist to replace the recently exited Jeff Schroeder.

Although the wider music press was initially baffled by the search – three guitarists?! – the band had been performing live with the triple-axe lineup of Billy Corgan, James Iha and Schroeder for over five years, and Schroeder was integral to what made the band a live force in the modern era.

With that in mind, I wrote a guide to 5 things you need to nail to get the gig. That was a somewhat bittersweet piece to write, because two days earlier, I had submitted my own application for the Smashing Pumpkins guitarist spot – and the last thing I wanted was more competition.

I first got wind of the audition when my phone lit up with messages from friends and colleagues encouraging me to apply. The Pumpkins are a cornerstone of my guitar playing. Their influence is unmistakable on the music I make. I once played in a grunge covers band, which incorporated Bullet With Butterfly Wings and Today in our set. Heck, I currently play in a group with three guitarists.

With a free weekend ahead, I mulled over my application. There was no closing date, so I wanted to get it in quick. With no criteria other than to “submit a resume and related materials”, I figured I’d get a showreel together, with excerpts of songs from across the Pumpkins’ sprawling catalog.

Schroeder’s role as SP guitarist was mercurial; it see-sawed between rhythmic heft, textural sonics and blistering solo duels with Corgan. Given the flexibility required for the role, and the expansiveness of the Pumpkins oeuvre, I set out to demonstrate my range.

First up was the outro to Cherub Rock, sifting through the dense layers of fuzz to highlight its melodic overdubs. That pivoted to Perfect, where I adapted Schroeder’s live arrangement, demonstrating my ear for more new-wave guitar tones.

I wanted to get in a quick chops showcase, so took a few stabs at an improvised solo over live staple United States, rounding off with rhythmic powerhouses Jellybelly and recent single Beguiled.

Smashing Pumpkins audition showreel: Michael Astley-Brown - YouTube

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Looking back on the showreel nearly four months later, it’s easy for me to find fault. I probably should have set up a count-in for the Jellybelly intro. The United States solo wasn’t my finest phrasing. And, although it proved I didn’t edit my performances in any way, maybe I shouldn’t have just used camera audio.

But for me, the Pumpkins is about that delicate balance between chaos and precision, and I wanted to capture that raw energy. I still feel proud of what I put together in a short space of time, and while there were certainly countless performance clips that put mine to shame, I’m confident that at the very least my cover letter – an ode to the complex interweaving of the Smashing Pumpkins guitar triumvirate – was among the better submissions, even if that didn’t especially count for much.

But what really hit me was how the whole process made me feel like a teenager again. Even if only for a weekend, I felt like I really could tour the world with my favorite band. I discussed applying for the gig with like-minded guitar-playing Pumpkins fans, who were just as excited about the whole thing as I was. Even my own bandmates were rooting for me.

I only hope that every other applicant carried the same sense of wonder and exhilaration. In a way, it didn’t matter what the result was (as much as we all would have loved the gig); it became about stirring up that sense of infinite possibility you carry as a beginner guitarist – that this instrument could take you anywhere, allow you to achieve anything. It made me realize how grateful I am to have the guitar in my life, to play live, to make music, no matter the size of the stage.

So hats off to Kiki Wong for landing the gig – a more-than-worthy player and one I’d like to think every other applicant is rooting for. She’s carrying the hopes and dreams of tens of thousands of guitarists on her shoulders – and we can’t wait to see her in action.

Until then, I’d like to personally thank Billy Corgan and co for the opportunity to become that wide-eyed teenager again – and feel like the impossible is possible.