James Iha Completes Circle

NEW YORK (Billboard) - Former Smashing Pumpkins guitarist James Iha has joined A Perfect Circle and will be on board for the band's upcoming U.S. tour, a spokesperson confirmed.

Iha replaces Troy Van Leeuwen, who left APC to join Queens Of The Stone Age. He does not contribute to APC's next Virgin album, "Thirteenth Step," due Sept. 16.

Iha has kept a low profile since the demise of Smashing Pumpkins in 2001, devoting much of his time to running the New York recording studio he co-owns with members of Ivy. The artist guests on Fountains Of Wayne's new S-Curve album, "Welcome Interstate Managers."

Reuters/Billboard