Kiki Wong has opened up on joining Smashing Pumpkins as their guitarist following an open application launched in early 2024.
The Pumpkins started their search for a new guitarist following the departure of Jeff Schroeder via an open call posted on their social media pages, which urged hopeful guitarists to submit a resume and related material to their management team. Over 10,000 people applied.
When it was announced that Wong had been selected for the role, many realised they’d seen her before through her popular metal and shred-focused guitar videos shared online. Even frontman Billy Corgan was a fan of her work, and had followed her online before she auditioned.
In a new interview with Revv Amps, posted on YouTube, Wong recalls how she applied for the position the same as everyone else, and was soon …