James Iha

James Iha

James Yoshinobu Iha (Japanese: 井葉吉伸, Iha Yoshinobu or ジェームス・イハ, Jēmusu Iha) born March 26, 1968 in Chicago, Illinois, U.S.) is an American rock musician. He is most famous as a guitarist in the alternative rock band The Smashing Pumpkins and his eclectic musical projects of recent years, including A Perfect Circle.

Early life and brief background

Iha attended Elk Grove High School in Elk Grove Village, Illinois and college at Loyola University Chicago, where he majored in graphic design before dropping out to dedicate himself to the Smashing Pumpkins. He currently lives in Manhattan, New York and co-owns independent record label Scratchie Records with Adam Schlesinger of Fountains of Wayne. Bands on the Scratchie label include The Sounds, Albert Hammond Jr., and Office. He also co-owns a recording studio with Adam Schlesinger and Andy Chase of Ivy called Stratosphere Sound in Manhattan.

He is a third-generation Japanese-American, however he is only able to speak a little Japanese.

In Smashing Pumpkins

Iha wrote and sang a number of Smashing Pumpkins' songs, such as, "Blew Away" on Pisces Iscariot, "Bugg Superstar" on Vieuphoria, "Take Me Down" on Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness, "...Said Sadly", "Believe", "The Boy", and "The Bells" on The Aeroplane Flies High, "Summer" on the "Perfect" single and "Go" on Machina II/The Friends & Enemies of Modern Music. He co-wrote with Billy Corgan "I Am One" on Gish, "Soma" and "Mayonaise" on Siamese Dream, "Plume" on Pisces Iscariot and "Farewell and Goodnight" on Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness. He also sang the band's covers of The Cure's "A Night Like This" and Syd Barrett's "Terrapin". During his time with the Pumpkins, James also appeared on recordings with other bands, including Ivy, to which Adam Schlesinger also contributes, and The Sounds.

Although Iha was often considered the "quiet one" in Smashing Pumpkins, he was known to engage in ad-libbed jokes and rap sessions.

In 1998, Iha released a moderately successful solo album, Let It Come Down, his only solo effort to date. One music video was produced from this album, for the song "Be Strong Now", which was also released as a four-track single.

While his former bandmates Billy Corgan and Jimmy Chamberlin have revived the "Smashing Pumpkins" name, James is not participating, and in fact has not spoken to Corgan in years.

Post Pumpkins work

2001-2004: A Perfect Circle, producing, Japan

Since the Pumpkins' breakup in 2000, Iha has pursued many projects. He continues to contribute to other artists' recordings, such as Don't Be Sad on Whiskeytown's Pneumonia released in 2001 and further guest appearances for bands Ivy and Fountains of Wayne, with which he kept close friendship and appeared on virtually every release by both bands since 1997. Andy Chase of Ivy, and Adam Schlesinger of both Ivy and Fountains, appeared on most songs James produced or wrote for other artists. Schlesinger first appeared on Iha's song on "The Bells" by The Smashing Pumpkins.

James Iha made bigger news when he joined rock band A Perfect Circle in July 2003 in time for their Thirteenth Step club tour. He has since appeared on their 2004 album eMOTIVe as well as contributed remixes of Blue and Outsider. In 2003, he joined Vanessa and the O's. The group released an EP Plus Rien in Sweden the same year and followed up with the album "La Ballade d'O" in 2005-2006 on the bands own label RushmoreRecordings playing live shows in Sweden summer of 2005.

More recently, Iha has collaborated on musical and fashion design projects in Japan. He collaborated and produced two tracks with Japanese musician Chara for her 2001 album MADRIGAL. The tracks are called "Boku ni Utsushite" (ボクにうつして）and "Skirt" (スカート), the latter accompanied with music video featuring Iha as a hunter in a forest. With the help of longtime friend and manager Isao Izutsu, he started the clothing label Vapor in 2001, and recorded "Never Ever", his first solo song since Smashing Pumpkins demise for first runway of Vapor.

In 2001 James played live with Blank Theory and appeared on their album producing the song "Addicted" together with Schlesinger and contributing guitar playing.

2005-2006: Soundtracks, collaborations, remixes

In 2004 A Perfect Circle was semi-officially put on hiatus by Billy Howerdel and James was DJing on New York upper class parties most of the time in the short aftermath of band's demise.

Iha also scored the Japanese film Linda, Linda, Linda, released in late summer 2005. In the same year he teamed with Adam Schlesinger again to produce a duet cover of "Splish Splash" by Bobby Darin for "Because of Winn-Dixie" soundtrack. The same year Iha contributed guitar to some tracks of Chino Moreno's band Team Sleep self-titled album.

Iha recently appeared on the track "The Ballad of Bonnie and Clyde" from the tribute album to Serge Gainsbourg entitled Monsieur Gainsbourg Revisited. Singer Kazu Makino (of Blonde Redhead) duets with him. He also produced two tracks on the album "I love you (me either)" that featured Cat Power singing and "L'Hotel" featuring Michael Stipe singing.

In February of 2006, a digital ep "In the Sun" produced by Iha featuring Michael Stipe and Chris Martin was released. This ep was for the benefit of Gulf Coast victims of Hurricane Katrina. The song was featured on an episode of Grey's Anatomy. Also in collaboration with Michael Stipe, Iha played guitar at the Bring Em Back Home concert benefit on March 20th of 2006 in Nyc.

On March 31st, 2006, Pitchfork Media reported that Iha will be featured on Norwegian pop singer Annie's follow-up to her highly successful debut, Anniemal, which will reportedly be out near the year's end. Iha also remixed "Me Plus One", a track off of Anniemal.

Released in October 2006, The Postmarks Goodbye EP features a remix by Iha. Also in 2006, Iha teamed up with Adam Schlesinger to co-produce America's comeback album, Here & Now, and appeared on Isobel Campbell album collaborating on her renditions of traditional Irish and Scottish folk songs. In 2006 James Iha recored a cover of "Judy Is a Punk" by The Ramones for 30th anniversary of a japanese clothing label Beams.

In February 2007, Side-Line announced that James Iha delivered a remix for the Ladytron single "Weekend Mixes" out on March 9th via Smoke & Mirrors. . In April 2007, he recorded remix for the Midnight Movies track "Patiet Eye".

Iha appeared on stage with Swedish band The Sounds, on the season finale of Bam's Unholy Union in April 2007.

2007-present: Second solo album

Iha is currently at work on a second solo album.

Discography

• Let It Come Down (album) (1998)
• Upcoming second solo album (2007/2008)

Singles

• "Be Strong Now" (single) (1998)
• "Jealousy" (UK promo-only single) (1998)

Smashing Pumpkins songs written, co-written or covered by Iha

Written by James Iha

• "Blew Away" from Pisces Iscariot
• "Bugg Superstar" from Vieuphoria and Earphoria
• "Take Me Down" from Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness
• "...Said Sadly" from The Aeroplane Flies High
• "Believe" from The Aeroplane Flies High
• "The Boy" from The Aeroplane Flies High
• "The Bells" from The Aeroplane Flies High
• "Summer" from the "Perfect" single
• "Go" on Machina II/The Friends & Enemies of Modern Music

Co-written with Billy Corgan

• "I Am One" on Gish
• "Soma" and "Mayonaise" from Siamese Dream
• "Plume" from Pisces Iscariot
• "Farewell and Goodnight" from Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness

Covers sung by Iha

• The Cure's "A Night Like This" from The Aeroplane Flies High
• Syd Barrett's "Terrapin"

External links

• Scratchie Records site
• The Smashing Pumpkins - The Smashing Pumpkins official website.
• studio site