Jeff Schroeder

Jeff Schroeder
Schroeder with The Smashing Pumpkins on August 8, 2023
Background information
Birth name	Jeffrey Kim Schroeder
Also known as	The Shredder
Born	(1974-02-04) February 4, 1974 Los Angeles, California, United States
Artists	The Smashing Pumpkins, Night Dreamer
Role	Guitar, vocals, keyboards
Years active	2007–2023
Other associated acts	The Lassie Foundation The Violet Burning, Glass Bow
Wikipedia	Jeff Schroeder
Instagram	@jjjschroeder
Twitter	@jjjschroeder

Jeffrey Kim Schroeder (born February 4, 1974, Los Angeles, California) is a guitarist for the alternative rock band The Smashing Pumpkins (initially replacing co-founder James Iha) in 2007. Schroeder is of Korean and German descent. On July 14, 2021, Schroeder released his debut single as a solo artist, "Haenim".

Initially replacing co-founder James Iha, Schroeder made his live debut with the Smashing Pumpkins on May 22, 2007, in Paris, France, as the band embarked on an extensive comeback tour in support of the album, Zeitgeist. Following the tour's completion, Schroeder became a core member of the band, and was described by Billy Corgan as a key collaborator on subsequent albums, Oceania (2012) and Monuments to an Elegy (2014). Following founding member James Iha's return in 2018, Schroeder remained in the band, ushering in a three-guitar line-up, before his official departure in October 2023.

In April 2024, he announced his new band Glass Bow with Vice Cooler, Andrea Wasse and Emily Retsas.

Early days and The Lassie Foundation

Schroeder started taking formal lessons on guitar playing from David Koval (Dakoda Motor Co. and Breakfast with Amy) at age twelve. When he was eighteen he joined the band The Violet Burning, only to become a guitarist and one of the founding members of a shoegazing band The Lassie Foundation from Southern California a few years later, who described their style as "pink noise pop". He played guitar on three full-length albums and toured with the band since 1996, before they went on hiatus in 2006. He has mentioned I Duel Sioux and Pacifico as his band's favorite albums; he had maximum creative time on the latter.

His other side project is The Beat Concerto with friend Eric Campuzano.

He joined the Smashing Pumpkins' touring lineup in 2007, but also recorded for the new Lassie Foundation album in late 2007 and early 2008.

The Smashing Pumpkins

On April 6, 2007, rock rumor webzine Buddyhead reported that Schroeder was the new guitarist for the Smashing Pumpkins, replacing James Iha in the new line-up. Schroeder toured with the band throughout 2007 and 2008 and appeared in the music videos for "Tarantula", "That's the Way (My Love Is)" and "G.L.O.W." In June 2010, Schroeder appeared in a live Internet stream playing on a demo with the band's current lineup.

Following the departure of Ginger Pooley in 2010, Schroeder remained the only member of the band besides Corgan still present from the 2007 revival show in Paris. On April 17, 2010 Schroeder played the first show with the newest lineup of Smashing Pumpkins, which included Jimmy Chamberlin's replacement Mike Byrne on drums and The Electric Prunes bassist Mark Tulin.

In 2018, after performing and recording with The Smashing Pumpkins for over eleven years, Schroeder remained within the band's core line-up, alongside returning founding members James Iha and Jimmy Chamberlin. Reflecting on the importance of this, Schroeder noted: "I personally had a pretty touchy moment for myself in that I was sitting there tuning my guitar [in the studio], and then I looked around and saw Billy, Jimmy, and James. And then I look through the window and see [producer] Rick Rubin, and I thought like, 'Wow. This is a really special moment.' To think that when I joined the band it was such a different scenario, that to even think twelve years later you'd be at this point, it was really unfathomable. So I really kind of took a second and took it in."

Schroeder would remain in the band's reformed lineup for five years, in which time the band released CYR in 2020 and ATUM in 2023. On October 24, 2023, Schroeder announced his departure from the band via the band's social media "to explore a slightly different path".

Influences

In a 2003 article, Schroeder cited Ace Frehley, Jeff Beck, Slash, Pete Townshend, Brad Laner, Lee Ranaldo, Thurston Moore, Tom Verlaine, Richard Lloyd, Carrie Brownstein, and J. Mascis as his most prominent guitar playing influences.

Equipment

When playing live with the band, Schroeder plays Gibson model guitars like the Les Paul, the SG and the ES-335; and Fender models like the Stratocaster, the Telecaster, and the Jazzmaster. He also uses Washburn Guitars live. Since 2010 he has used a Randall amp MTS system with custom preamp modules by Salvation Mods.

Discography

This list contains only works related to The Smashing Pumpkins and associated acts.

Solo releases

• 2021 – "Haenim"
• 2021 – "Interior Castles"
• 2021 – "When Our Shadows Fall"

With The Smashing Pumpkins

• 2008 – If All Goes Wrong
• 2010 – Teargarden by Kaleidyscope - Vol. 1: Songs for a Sailor
• 2010 – Teargarden by Kaleidyscope - Vol. 2: The Solstice Bare
• 2012 – Oceania
• 2014 – Monuments to an Elegy
• 2018 – Shiny and Oh So Bright - Vol. 1 / LP: No Past. No Future. No Sun.
• 2020 – CYR
• 2023 – ATUM: A Rock Opera in Three Acts
• 2023 – London By Day

With Night Dreamer

• 2019 – Treasure
• 2020 – Inner Oceans Volume 1

Other appearances

• 2015 – "Christmas Time Is Here" by The Majestic High
• 2022 – "Burning" by Child Seat
• 2023 – "Places" by Livingmore; Schroeder is performs guitar and synth

Production credits

Schroeder served as a co-producer during the Monuments era.

Year	Album
2014	Monuments to an Elegy
2019	Treasure

Sessions

Session	Artist	Album(s)
March-April 2014 – Pumpkinland II	The Smashing Pumpkins
May 2014 – The Village Recorder and Pumpkinland II	The Smashing Pumpkins	Monuments to an Elegy
June-July 2014 – Pumpkinland II	The Smashing Pumpkins	Monuments to an Elegy
September-October 2014 – Pumpkinland II	The Smashing Pumpkins	Day For Night

Videos

Yamaha Guitars Artist Profile