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Artist News
Smashing Pumpkins to flog half finished tracks
By CMU Editorial | Published on Wednesday 22 April 2009
Bands often give fans free insights into what they’re doing in the studio as they work on new material. U2 had a webcam in their studio during sessions for their 2000 album ‘All That You Can’t Leave Behind’, and in 2002 Weezer posted demo versions of works-in-progress as free MP3s on their website while writing songs for their ‘Maladroit’ album. But were they missing out on making a bit of fast cash? Billy Corgan seems to think so.
The official Smashing Pumpkins website announced on Monday that plans are under way to launch a paid subscription service which will give fans access to videos and photographs “detailing the creative process within the studio” over twelve weeks. The site proclaims that “subscribers will be able to watch the next era of Smashing Pumpkins music take shape” in an effort to make it sound like something worth paying for.
The service will cost $40 and fans are guaranteed at least five updates per week and all videos will be at least five minutes long. The content will later be made into an “art film”, although the site doesn’t say if subscribers will receive this as part of the package or if they’ll have to fork out more to get hold of it.
However, this is not about making money, says Corgan. It’s about, er, inspiration, or something. Here’s what Billy says: “The goal is to create a working model that is not profit motivated but rather information and access motivated. In exchange for a fixed resource base fans will be let inside in an unprecedented way to the creative process of preparing to make the next SP album while also inspiring an inter-active dialogue that will help shape the work. Because of the open window, further efforts will be made to provide content so that anyone participating can more readily follow the arc over the twelve weeks, with unprecedented access to lyrical and musical content”.
He adds: “I am excited to make this offer to anyone who might be interested what goes on behind the wizard’s curtain. It is my goal to far exceed the normal documentary process and use the moment to create something that invokes synchronicity, electricity, and faith into a moment that is ever unfolding”.
And though this is definitely not about making money, the site does state: “If we don’t find that there is enough demand for this, the project will be set aside for a future time”. That’s right, Smashing Pumpkins fans, it’ll all be your fault!
