THE SMASHING PUMPKINS will be back in the studio in August, to work on the follow-up to the mega-selling 'Mellon Collie And The Infinite Sadness' double album. According to a report in the band's 'local' paper, the 'Chicago Tribune', the Pumpkins will be working with producer Brad Wood on the LP, with a likely release through Hut during the spring of 1998. And this time around, the Pumpkins are set go for a low-key groove, which is in contrast to their recent electronic dabblings for the soundtrack albums to both 'Lost Highway' and 'Batman And Robin'.
Expect also a softer effort from guitarist James Iha, who's been working on his own solo album for Scratchie Records, the label he co-owns with bassist D'Arcy. Scratchie is also home to both Fountains of Wayne and The Frogs. Iha has told 'US' magazine that he tends to write "quieter, more acousticy music" than Pumpkin mainman Billy Corgan. Iha shouldn't be getting his hopes up too much of having songs on the new Pumpkins LP, though - last time out, Corgan was reluctant to use any of his songs on 'Mellon Collie...'!

Sorce of information etc, Kerrang Magazine.