Chamberlin likes beat of his new 'Life'
By Chris Nixon
For the San Diego Union-Tribune
March 31, 2005
When former Smashing Pumpkins/Zwan drummer Jimmy Chamberlin migrated from Chicago to Murrieta in California in August with his wife, Lori, and 3-year-old daughter, Audrey, he not only found a new band, but a convenient set of baby sitters.
Lori's parents, who live in Escondido, have provided Chamberlin the freedom to embark on his new project – the Jimmy Chamberlin Complex – without worrying about his wife or child being alone at home.
"It's easier for me to work out here," says Chamberlin during a recent tour stop at South By Southwest in Austin, Texas. "It's certainly easier for me to leave knowing that my wife is close to her family, and we have a baby sitter close by that we can trust. It makes the music easier, it makes living at home easier."
The move to Southern California reflects a more mature Chamberlin, who drove the Smashing Pumpkins percussive sound from 1988-1996, then again from 1999 until the group disbanded in 2000. Along with musical soulmate Billy Corgan, guitarist James Iha and bassist D'Arcy, Chamberlin and the Pumpkins elevated alt-rock to angelic heights during the 1990s.
The years between 1996 and 1999 marked a turbulent time in the drummer's life, clouded by a drug overdose and his resulting expulsion from the band. After a stint in Billy Corgan's post-Pumpkins project Zwan, Chamberlin has found new life in his marriage, his family and a new band with his name on it.
Aptly titled "Life Begins Again," the Jimmy Chamberlin Complex's debut album on Sanctuary Records finds the 40-year-old drummer in top form. The disc finds Chamberlin and his new bandmates exploring technical rock and sweet songwriting.
"Certainly, my first inclination was to wow people but when I thought about it, my strong points really lie in song support," says Chamberlin, who penned the lyrics for six songs on the album. "Even though I'm a jazz-trained drummer, I cut my teeth playing rock. The influences on the record were basically anything that changed music, from Chick Corea to Bauhaus. If it's a fusion, it's somewhere between Mahavishnu (Orchestra) and the Cure."
The Complex represents a collaboration between Chamberlin and multi-instrumentalist Billy Mohler (bass, keyboards, guitar, vocals), who auditioned for Zwan when Corgan was assembling his follow-up to the Smashing Pumpkins. Mohler didn't fit the band, but Chamberlin and he became fast friends. When Chamberlin signed a three-record deal with Sanctuary, he contacted Mohler. The duo co-wrote and co-produced the album, along with performances by guitarist Sean Woolstenhulme and keyboardist Adam Benjamin.
"When you do a project like this, it's all-encompassing: everything is new, you're building new relationships, and you're trying to set the groundwork for something that's very special to you," says Chamberlin. "So it takes a ton of emotional investment. Some of the other bands I've been in, the criticisms didn't land in my lap. For this thing, Mohler and I are standing on our own two feet."
Mohler sings on two tunes, but the album also features the vocal talents of Corgan ("Loki Cat"), ex-Catherine Wheel frontman Rob Dickinson ("Life Begins Again" and "Love Is Real") and the always righteous Bill Medley ("Lullabye"). Chamberlin also enlisted his brother Paul to play drums with him on "Loki Cat."
According to Chamberlin, fans of the Smashing Pumpkins can look forward to many more collaborations between Corgan and the drummer: "It was a natural thing for him and I work to work together on this. I just worked on his solo record as well. It's good to let people know that our musical relationship is intact and that we'll be doing stuff together in the future."
Chris Nixon is a San Diego music writer.
