The Smashing Pumpkins have created one of the most acclaimed bodies of work in musical history, having sold more than 30 million albums and won multiple Grammy awards in the process. The band have recently unveiled the album cover artwork for their 7th studio album Oceania, which is due out June 19th via Marthas Music/EMI Label Services/Caroline Distribution. The hauntingly beautiful image (above) was photographed by Richard Shay, son of Chicago legend Art Shay.
Oceania was recorded at singer/guitarist Billy Corgan’s private studio in Chicago with his band mates: guitarist Jeff Schroeder, drummer Mike Byrne, and bassist/vocalist Nicole Fiorentino. The powerful 13-song collection (full tracklisting below) was produced by Corgan and Bjorn Thorsrud (a frequent collaborator with both the Pumpkins and Zwan) and mixed by David Bottrill. As part of their 44-song work-in-progress, Teargarden by Kaleidyscope, Oceania is an album within an album.
"From a production standpoint I was dead set on making an album where every song was just as valuable as any other, ignoring the typical claptrap you hear about needing a single." said Corgan on recording Oceania before signing on with a label for the release. “The only way to make the case that every song on Oceania is worth hearing is to put your heart into the sequence as a cohesive whole.”
In touring news, The Pumpkins will be headlining the sold-out Splendour in the Grass festival July 27th-29th in Australia at Byron Bay’s Belongil Fields. They will also headline a string of shows in Australia, New Zealand, and Europe (schedule below).
For more on The Smashing Pumpkins, visit their official site at smashingpumpkins.com.
Oceania Tracklisting:
Quasar
Panopticon
The Celestials
Violet Rays
My Love is Winter
One Diamond, One Heart
Pinwheels
Oceania
Pale Horse
The Chimera
Glissandra
Inkless
Wildflower
Tour Dates:
May 26 - Rock in Rio Lisbon
July 26 Challenge Stadium, Perth
July 29 Splendour in the Grass
July 31 Entertainment Centre Sydney
Aug 2 Hisense Arena Melbourne
Aug 4 Trusts Stadium Arena Auckland, NZ