Dave Navarro was in high spirits when he spoke to Kyle Meredith earlier this year. Jane’s Addiction had reunited with original bassist Eric Avery, and they were in the midst of a U.S. tour with Love and Rockets. “It feels like the original days, late 80s, early 90s,” Navarro mused, reflecting on their stripped-down performances without the usual overblown production. The conversation, sprinkled with his trademark wit, went from thoughts on World War II documentaries to musical influences from Daniel Ash and David Gilmour.
However, while the energy of the tour seemed optimistic, things behind the scenes were more turbulent. Just weeks after this interview, reports surfaced of a heated on-stage quarrel between Navarro and frontman Perry Farrell, leading to yet another breakup. “We’ve broken up 10 times,” Navarro said during the interview, foreshadowing the rift. “No wonder, we’re crazy.” As the tensions boiled over, the band, once again, fractured, leaving fans wondering about their future.
Navarro’s connection to Jane’s Addiction has always been tempestuous. He admitted as much, saying, “I think that having a little bit of volatility remain within the band is what makes it feel original.” Indeed, that volatility has been a constant theme throughout their career, with multiple breakups and reconciliations over the years. But Navarro has always been candid about the challenges. He talked about the band’s shift towards a more production-oriented approach in recent years, admitting, “I don’t think we’ve been doing it the right way for the past 20 years.” He blamed distractions, including his stint on TV with Ink Master, for diluting the essence of the band.
The recent breakup stems from the very tensions that make their music so electric. Jane’s Addiction, a band born from disparate influences, has always thrived on its contradictions. Navarro, with his love of shredding and complex guitar solos, came from a speed-metal background, while Farrell’s gothic, punk sensibilities offered a stark contrast. “We couldn’t do what they could do, and they couldn’t do what we could do,” Navarro said about their early days, explaining how the mix of musical influences became their strength.
Navarro was particularly excited about their new material, which includes the tracks “Imminent Redemption” and “True Love.” He was proud of the songs, particularly because of their different structure. “It’s got a chorus. Boom. Chorus,” he laughed, pointing out that Jane’s Addiction had always been more about hooks than traditional choruses. He described the hypnotic quality of their music, with songs like “Three Days” and “Jane Says” eschewing typical verse-chorus structure in favor of a more ambient, repetitive sound. “It’s about creating a feeling,” he said. “It’s not about shredding and proficiency.”
For Navarro, this experimental edge was what kept Jane’s Addiction compelling, even when their personal dynamics were unraveling. He emphasized how, during live shows, the band would often extend songs like “Three Days” and “Kettle Whistle” into long, improvised jams. “Some nights, ‘Three Days’ is seven minutes long; other nights, it’s twelve,” he explained. These moments of unpredictability were when Navarro felt most connected to the music. “We don’t know what we’re doing,” he admitted. “And that’s how it should be.”
Yet, despite these moments of musical magic, Navarro acknowledged that things could go wrong. “Some nights, it slips into the mud,” he said, referring to the occasional bad performance. The key, he insisted, was to stay in the moment and let go of mistakes. “I used to hit a sour note and be pissed off for the rest of the show,” he said. “Now, I let it go. Nobody noticed anyway.”
That flexibility is something Navarro’s learned over 35 years of being on stage. He contrasted it with the rigidity of fans who experience live music through their phone screens. “You’re already watching the show through a tiny screen. If you’re also watching clowns doing backflips behind us, how are you going to have an emotional reaction?” Navarro lamented.
Still, Navarro seems to have found peace with the chaos, at least musically. “The original guy’s back,” he said of Avery. “He wrote the basslines that are the catchiest parts of the songs. The way he plays, it’s just different. It’s the original feeling.” That original feeling—the rawness, the unpredictability—was what made Jane’s Addiction great in the first place. And it’s what Navarro seems to chase, even as the band crumbles once more.
But if Jane’s Addiction is known for anything, it’s their ability to rise from the ashes. As Navarro himself said, “When it hits, it’s worth it.” For now, fans will have to wait and see if this latest breakup is the end or just another chapter in the band’s long, unpredictable history.
Watch the interview above and then check out the video below.
