Longtime Smashing Pumpkins guitarist Jeff Schroeder, who joined the band in 2006, has announced his departure from the group.
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In a message posted on the Smashing Pumpkins’ social media sites, Schroeder explained, “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.”
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The 49-year-old musician continued, “I want to thank [frontman] Billy [Corgan], [drummer] Jimmy [Chamberlin], [guitarist] James [Iha], and [touring bassist] Jack [Bates] 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.”
Earlier in the post, Schroeder reflected fondly on his time with the group, writing, “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.”
The post also featured a joint note from Corgan, Chamberlin, and Iha thanking Schroeder “for his ceaseless dedication to the band and our great fans,” adding, “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.”
Schroeder joined the Smashing Pumpkins when Corgan reformed the group several years after its original run ended in 2000. Schroeder contributed guitar to all of the studio recordings the Smashing Pumpkins put out from the 2008 American Gothic EP through the three-part Atum: A Rock Opera in Three Acts album series, which was released in 2022 and 2023.
Schroeder also played some keyboards on Atum.
The Smashing Pumpkins most recent concert was a special acoustic show celebrating the 30th anniversary of the Siamese Dream album that was held at Madame ZuZu’s Tea Shop and Art Studio, a cafe Corgan co-owns in Highland Park, Illinois. In 2024, the band is scheduled to mount a North American stadium tour with Green Day and Rancid, and also will tour Ireland and the U.K. with Weezer next summer.
