It’s a rainy day on the road amidst a long stretch of touring for The Smashing Pumpkins — but for England native Jack Bates, rain is something he’s used to. Playing over three hour-long sets in one of the most successful alternative bands, however, is something that Bates is still getting accustomed to. Having held the bass chair since a round of tours back in 2015, and rehashing his role when the band members reunited in 2018, Bates is starting to get used to the rock star life. You could say it’s something embedded in his DNA, being the son of legendary bass player Peter Hook of Joy Division, New Order, and Peter Hook & The Light, the latter of which Bates himself has been a member since 2010. And while the father–son bass duo shares similar looks, mannerisms, demeanor, and vocation, Bates has blazed a trail all his own with his role in the Pumpkins. Stepping out of his tour bus and into the rain to greet us, Bates sports a Manchester United team soccer shirt and a welcoming smile, although it’s quick to fade once I ask him how his team is currently doing. But stepping onto the stage to check out his vast collection of Yamaha touring basses, that smile returns with ease as he explains the tunings for each bass. It’s easy to tell how thankful Jack is to be in his current position as a member of the Pumpkins, a band that he idolized from a young age and which produced bass stars in his predecessors D’arcy Wretzky and Nicole Fiorentino. His iconic bandmates are quick to praise the 30-year-old, each eager to point out how reliable of a player he is and how instinctually he holds down the low end from a massive catalog that spans ten albums over 30-plus years. And while Bates has mastered playing his father’s high-end-heavy, frantic, and technical lines in The Light, he knows that the importance of staying true to the Pumpkins’ music is of utmost importance. Leaving the stage and walking into the green room, we’re greeted by drummer Jimmy Chamberlin and guitarists James Iha and Jeff Schroeder, who are each preparing for the night’s performance in their own ways. A door to a private room in the back opens, and through it steps frontman Billy Corgan. He greets Jack and props himself against a table with a wry grin. “I’ve written all of the bass lines for this band for years. Shouldn’t I be the one you’re interviewing?” Assuring him that I’d gladly oblige that, the room quickly turns into a bass forum of sorts, where Billy, Jimmy, and Jack discuss the Pumpkins’ low-end history, which shifts into Billy excitedly explaining his adoration for Yamaha basses. “The BB734A is the only bass I used on our new album [Shiny and Oh So Bright Vol. 1 / LP: No Past. No Future. No Sun., 2018], and it’s the first time in Pumpkins’ history that I didn’t use a Fender bass to record. That bass has the tone I’ve been searching for. It has the low end I want in the mix, but it really cuts and comes through in the mid