Meanwhile, I asked Jimmy about a possible Pumpkins reunion and his seemingly settled-down life as he was about to return to Chicago for a concert.
So how's your tour going so far?
It's actually over for seven days and now it's starting again, basically in mini, on Monday. But yeah, the West Coast was amazing. It was so fun. We kind of broke the band down to a three piece now so it's a little more experimental, a little more not so tied down to the songs.
So which guy is taking a break right now?
Adam, the keyboard player, which we've subsequently replaced with a loop pedal, so … much more economical and a lot of space, as well.
So is it weird to be the leader of a band this time?
It's a lot more work, but I think the payoff is a little deeper. I think you get a little more emotionally invested in what's going on than say if you're playing somebody else's songs, or blah blah blah, or part of a democracy. And really, the band, you know, I kind of give everybody a little bit of authority just to kind of keep it cool. Like Billy (Mohler) the bass player who co-wrote the record with me, he's kind of half of the nuts and bolts of everything – the touring, the merchandise – and I try to throw as much work as I can in his lap so I don't have to do it all.
So who's singing with the band each time?
Mohler's singing, vocals, and Sean (Woolstenhulme) the guitar player is singing as well. They're singing most of the vocal songs that are on the record. Those guys are really good singers and I was going to use them on the record, but it was such a great opportunity to do a record and write songs around guest vocalists. So it was kind of the catalyst behind that. But we've had … we just played L.A. we had (Billy) Corgan get up and sing the "Loki Cat" song because he was in town and then he played guitar, we've had Rob Dickinson out a few times, and we're trying to get (Bill ) Medley on stage, but he's such a superstar.
How did you hook up with Bill Medley?
He is Billy Mohler's godfather. So he's Mohler's dad's best friend. I mean, those guys have been paling around since the '60s. So they both hung out with Phil Spector and the Beach Boys. You ask him a question, like, 'Did you ever hear that Hendrix record?' and he's like, 'Oh, I was in the studio when he made that.' – you know? Kind of crazy stuff like that.
Are there any guests for the Chicago show?
I don't think so. I think we're just going to do it on our own. Because that's kind of the way things are moving along here. The band's really kind of finding it's footing now and the show's been pretty powerful. Everybody's been pretty blown away by the live performances.
So on to the CD real quick. Did you write any music parts, too, or did Bill do all that kind of stuff, and you just do drums?
No, we kind of collaborated on most of it. I mean, he's kind of a good part writer, he would come up with, like, here's this kind of part. And I'm kind of a good song assembler, so working that way, we kind of built the songs in that way. We would record a bunch of parts, we'd figure out what went with what, we'd record them, and then we would write melodies to go over the top of 'em. And if we deem the song was lyric-worthy, we would figure out a melody for the lyrics, and then I would just write the lyrics.
Did you play any instruments, not on the record, but just to write the songs and stuff like that?
Well, yeah, I play guitar and a little bit of piano, I mean I can fumble my way through chords just to figure out harmonization and stuff like that. But, you know, I played a little guitar on the record, but I didn't credit myself, because I just think it's lame to be like, you know, I think drums are enough, and leave the multi-instrumentation to those who deserve it.
Were any of these songs anything you had cooking from years ago?
No, they were all brand new. Just the results of Mohler and I sequestering ourselves in this little box and just hashing it out and kind of panning for gold, you go 'round and 'round and 'round and you see what sticks to the pan. And that's how the record was written. We would rehearse about six hours a day and we would go home and try to think, 'OK, what was memorable about that?' We would record everything all day as well. So we'd be able to go back and weed through it and say, 'OK, this has relevance' and 'This may go over here,' and 'This is kind of a cool intro,' and 'Let's save this for something.' You know, it was a bit piecemeal because we really didn't have a band, until the very end, until Sean came into the picture and started putting his sauce on everything. So there was a lot of stuff going on in my head that I didn't know if it was going to translate onto record or not. I mean, what you hear in your head, as far as a version of a song, sometimes can be totally different as to how it comes out, because when you put stuff down, the way you hear it in your head, you may not like it to your ear, and you may hear something different and you like that, and you want to take the song in a different direction. So we basically wrote right up to the very last moment we were in the studio.
Where did you guys hang out to do that? Was it in the Chicago area?
No no no. We recorded and rehearsed in Los Angeles. That's where the other musicians live, and that's where I live now, too. I moved out here in August of last year, just to kind of a) My wife's family is from Oscandito, which is south of Los Angeles, towards San Diego, and we wanted her to be close to her family. My family lives in Joliet and Shanahan and when we were living in Chicago we lived in Long Grove, so we didn't really see my family that much. So we wanted to buy a house that was close to L.A. so I could work without having to fly 30,000 miles a year and for her to be close to her family as well.
So how long have you been married?
It will be three years on the 27th (April). And we've got a young daughter as well.
How old is she?
She is a little over 2. She's sitting down eating her pancakes right now (laughs).
So you're at home then right now?
Yeah, this is my last day before I split tomorrow.
One more question about the album here, I noticed some spiritual lyrics and references to God. Do you have any religious beliefs that you have that you're expressing a little bit?
Um, none that are really denominational. I would say, yeah, I think the record is spiritual in the fact that it is a positive message. And I think spirituality is a big part of music, whether you admit it or not. I think if you look at the great works of art over periods of time I think most of them were inspired by some type of divine nature. I just try to channel the goodness and everything around me and try and put it into music. And it seems to be the easiest thing for me to write lyrics about, just because I don't like to look at the doom-and-gloom side of things. I mean, there's been enough of that in my physical life, so I think in my ethereal, spiritual outpourings, I want to stay on the positive.
But you wouldn't categorize it even to say anything like a Christian belief or anything like that? You keep it more vague than that?
I think you could call it Christian. I don't think there's anything wrong with that. I mean, I think Christian way of life is a good way to live your life as long as it's done in a correct manner and it doesn't hurt anybody else. I think any religion, like anything else, if used in the right way, is a perfect way to live your life full of goodness. But I think there's a lot of examples today of people misrepresenting and misusing religion, so I'm a little reluctant to put a denomination on it. I do believe in God, and I do try to serve a greater purpose in my life, and that's what I like to write about.
I have to ask, because I've noticed the same with some of the music that Billy Corgan has done. Is he kind of on the same page as you on that?
Yeah, I think we both come from the same place in that respect. We're not overtly religious, but we are very invertly spiritual.
I have to ask a couple Pumpkins questions – it's of course a requirement, right?
Right.
What was it like to be in such a big band?
(laughs) Man, that's about as general as it gets! (laughs) It was great! (laughs)
But that's the question everyone would wonder, right? Everyone has preconceptions of it.
It's probably easier to put it this way. If I tell you the difference between that band – and that was great, and I think the great things that happened in that band happened somewhat early on and as the band got bigger and bigger I think we got further and further away from what was really the motivating factor in the whole piece of art that it was. And the difference with something like this (Jimmy Chamberlin Complex) is it's done on very small terms and you can get a lot closer to the music and you can get a lot closer to the people.
The Pumpkins were great because we pretty much wrote our own ticket. We did everything our way. We didn't really listen to anybody but ourselves, and we made a success out of it. So I think anytime you can do that in your life with anything it gives you a great deal of confidence to do whatever you want, especially artistically. And it gives people confidence in you as well. So I look at the band as a great catalyst to the rest of my life.
As far as the day to day, what was it like to be in the Pumpkins? I mean, yeah, it was crazy. Rock and roll. Fantasy.
When you said the band didn't listen to anyone else, you mean you didn't worry about if someone told you to be this way or change your music or something?
Exactly, I mean when we were writing songs with guitar solos and crazy drum parts in the '90s, I mean that just wasn't cool to do. People were going out of their way not to do that and people were going out of their way to sound like R.E.M. and here we are trying to sound like Black Sabbath and Led Zeppelin. And people really just didn't get it until the music just did the talking and people started coming to the table.
What do you think your favorite Pumpkins album is?
Oh God. That's an impossible question. That's like saying which cat is your favorite, or which one is your favorite kid. I think they're all great for different reasons and depending on where I'm at in my life, I'll pick one out depending on where I'm at in my life. I mean, sometimes I'll sit down and listen to "Siamese Dream" and think man that's a great record. And sometimes I'll listen to it and think God, we must have been crazy, and I can't even believe people bought this! Right now, I'd have to say if any record was probably the closest to where I'm at right now, it would probably be "Machina II."
Would it ever happen where you would get back together or Zwan would get back together?
Yeah, I think so. That's something that certainly Billy and I talk about a lot, and we're into it and I think there's a good possibility that if we don't get the Pumpkins get back together, we'll at least … We're already talking about making a record together and I really can't see calling it anything else. It's too close to the map for him and I to do a record and call it What? You know? Zwan was a little different because there were other people involved, there were some other songwriters involved and there were some other pretty strong personalities in that band and that was something that was a deliberate departure from the Pumpkins. I think if it was going to Corgan and I again, what else would you call it? It would be stupid to call it, you know, whatever.
Did you do any playing for Billy's record coming up?
I did. I played some drums on a song, I think it's called “DIA" I'm not sure if it's the first single or not, but it's cool. It was challenging for me because I had to go in and play in the context of the record he was making as opposed to coming in and playing my way. It was a challenge for me to go in and listen to the other eight songs and play in a way that fits in that context. But I think we pulled it off and everybody that's heard the song is immediately taken by it. It's kind of the more rock song on the record as you can imagine.
It's pretty well known that you're considered one of the best rock drummers around. What do you think you do differently that draws people's ears?
I think I'm a better listener. I think the things I do differently than other drummers are listen to what's going on around me. I don't think a lot of drummers are concerned with what's going on lyrically in a song, whereas for me it's very important to have lyrics in front of me when I'm playing, if there is going to be lyrics. Because I think the drums are biggest obvious dynamic and if the lyrics are saying one thing and the drums are saying another thing it's kind of confusing to me to listen to music that way. That's why for me I try to work with the lyricist and whoever's singing the vocal part to go along with the drum part. I think to be conscious of that and to be a team player, I think that's … and the fact that I have my own identity. I think that's probably the most important thing in music. I don't think the technical prowess is the key to being a great musician necessarily, I think it's a necessary component but I don't think it's the end-all. I think personality is a lot more. When you can channel your own intuition into your instrument as opposed to just mocking what you've heard, I think that makes it a much more powerful thing.
I also saw in one of your bios that you took a lot of lessons from a lot of different teachers. Did that help you along the way too?
I think that was a big part of the way I play. When I was a kid, I was really into playing whatever just so I could get out and play I really didn't care what kind of music it was. I wasn't some prima donna who was only going to play jazz or only going to play rock. And I know a lot of people like that and their playing really suffers. So when I was a kid I played everything from big band to disco to rock to polka music to weddings. Whatever I could get my hands on I just totally devoured it. When you do that you can bring a lot more to the table when you're in a rock environment or jazz environment if you can go, 'Oh man, I remember this crazy polka groove that I used to play. Here's a kind of inversion of that.'
But yeah, the different teachers I had – Charlie Adams, who plays with Yanni now – nobody would ever cite my playing and his. But he was a huge influence on me, if for nothing else just his practice regimen and the devotion he has to the drum set that exists to this day. I mean, the guy is 55, he's out with Yanni, and when I talk to him about drumming he almost starts sweating the guy is so enthusiastic about it. I think surrounding yourself with people like that is really important.
So how long did you take lessons from him in particular?
About four years, and then I studied with Jerry Drowden who from Joliet as well, who was more of a big band guy. And then I took from this guy Hugh Wilson for a while who was a Latin-influenced jazz drummer, who also played timpani and vibes as well. So that was kind of a complete left turn for me when I was 14 or 15 and started taking lessons from him. So all that stuff adds up and when you can take a little bit of that and a little bit of this and put it into your own thing you can kind of make your own label.
Did you always think you'd end up in rock 'n' roll though? Was it in your heart to do?
No really. I really wasn't concerned about it. I was thrilled to be in the Pumpkins because the music was good. I wasn't thrilled to be in the Pumpkins because I could play crazy chops. I mean, that was neat. And I think anytime you can be a force like that in a great band, that's whatever, it's God's will or it's … I felt like that's where I was supposed to be so that was what was so cool about it.
Why do you think other rock drummers don't get as creative as you have?
I don't know. Maybe they don't need to. I don't know. I can only speak for myself and what is acceptable to me. I haven't walked in anybody's shoes but my own, so I can't say, you know? I mean, there's a lot of guys out there … I mean look at Charlie Watts. Here's a guy who everything he does is memorable, but nothing is super-difficult to do. So everybody makes their contribution based on what their own personal goals are. I don't sit here and say, 'Oh, that guys a bonehead because he just plays two and four all day long.' I really admire guys that can do that and get the point across. I never seem to be able to do it, so when I see somebody do it I'm amazed.
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