...guitarist James Iha is also tight-lipped when asked if he was surprised by D'Arcy's decision to quit the band. The softly-spoken Iha admits to being "philosophical" about the bassist's exit.

"What happens happens," he sighs. "I understand, because it's not easy to live your life in this band. But we'll still be friends. She's great."

Like Corgan, Iha admits to feeling tired with life in the Pumpkins after 'Melancholy..." and he has no regrets about the step back from the spotlight with 'Adore'. Resembling a cross between Edward Scissorhands and a Japanese kabuki theatre character, the guitarist said he had approached 'MACHINA...' hoping to make "a raw, balls-out, live rock album". But he adds, "Rock is dead", 'Rock is alive' - who cares? It's just music."

In the Pumpkins' time off, Iha found time to record his debut solo album 'Let It Come Down', something he says was "a good learning experience".

"Other than that I was pretty domestic," he sighs. "Gosh, that sounds so boring in Kerrang!. Okay, [James's humor] I was getting into fist fights, drinking a lot of beer, flying airplanes and er, wearing purple frocks. I thought I was Prince for a while."

To Iha, Auf der Maur's recruitment to the Pumpkins makes perfect sense.