Jeff Schroeder, guitarist for The Smashing Pumpkins, has announced that he is leaving the band. The announcement about his departure came in two statements - one from him and one from the rest of the band - which were released on Instagram. His statement reads,
”"It's easy to say now that when I joined The Smashing Pumpkins in 2007 I had no idea what I was getting into. The opportunity seemed to have come out of nowhere. I was at UCLA working on my doctorate in comparative literature when a close friend messaged me and said The Smashing Pumpkins were looking for a guitar player. Being a huge fan of the band, the audition was something I threw myself into. It was one of the best decisions I've made in my life. The amount of incredible memories created over the last 16 years with the band are almost too numerous to quantify. Although it was a very difficult decision to make, I've decided to leave the band to make some space to explore a slightly different path. I want to thank Billy, Jimmy, James, and Jack for being both wonderful bandmates and even better friends. I will absolutely miss sharing the stage with you. I wish the band all the success in the future. I will be watching and listening.”
The statement from Billy Corgan, Jimmy Chamberlin, and James Iha reads,
"We thank Jeff for his ceaseless dedication to the band and our great fans. Words can not express our gratitude and appreciation for the friend he is, and being there for SP in the good times and the tough times, too.”
Jeff Schroeder had been with the band since 2007. The band released their 3 part album Atum: A Rock Opera in Three Acts in 2022 and 2023. See the post in full below.