Billy Corgan & Smashing Pumpkins Were Hacked

Billy Corgan & Smashing Pumpkins Were Hacked

Last week, Smashing Pumpkins released the final part of their three-part rock opera sequel to their 1995 hit album, “Melon Collie and the Infinite Sadness” and 2000’s “Machine/The Machines of God.” 

“ATUM: Act Three” is the conclusion of an ambitious batch of new music from the veteran rockers, and Corgan spoke with the Klein/Ally Show on KROQ about the effort. 

Corgan said he gets “excited every time” the band releases new music, and revealed a surprising story about what he had to do to keep the new music under wraps until its scheduled release. 

“Right when the album was being mixed and mastered, which is a very kind of nervous time because the files are finally going out to different people and as you can imagine, these days, everything’s digital,” Corgan said.

“So, a fan contacted me and said, ‘Nine of the songs have leaked.’ This is, like, six months ago, and they were all probably the most catchy, single-y type songs. So, it’s like, not only is it six months too early, but you’re pretty much giving away the album before you even have a chance to set your feet into the ground. And somehow, some hacker was offering the files for money, and we were able to trace it and pay off and keep it from leaking. The FBI got involved.”

Corgan continued: “I don’t know how they got what they got. [Ransom was paid] out of my pocket, unfortunately. What we were able to do was stop the leak from happening, because it was a mercenary person who had hacked somebody – I don’t want to say who – and they had other stuff from other artists. It wasn’t like some Pumpkins fan that was hellbent on breaking it on Reddit. . . . Somehow, they gave some information that allowed the FBI to track them. I don’t know the end result of it yet.”

“They had stuff that was shocking to me. Like, classic stuff from bands of the past [who’re] probably doing reissues. I don’t think any of that stuff’s leaked out, so whatever happened, it all got shut down.”

Smashing Pumpkins just wrapped up an Australian rock and wrestling tour where the band also took out much of the roster from NWA — the storied promotion that Corgan revived in 2018. The band also plans to do the rock and wrestling angle for a United States tour later this year. 

B.J. LISKO
Follow B.J.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT


AROUND THE WEB