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Jane’s Addiction’s Legendary Dave Navarro Discusses ‘The Great Escape Artist’

Jane’s Addiction have written the rule book for alternative music and culture through a combination of genre-defying classic songs, including “Jane Says” and “Been Caught Stealing”, and a cinematic live experience. With decades in the game behind them and over seven million records in the U.S. alone, this iconic band show no signs of slowing down. In fact, they currently stand ready to unleash the next chapter in their long and storied career, which is set for release on September 27, 2011. ‘The Great Escape Artist’ marks the first new studio album in eight years by Perry Farrell, Dave Navarro and Stephen Perkins, who are living proof that some people just listen to rock n’ roll, while some have it coursing through their veins! Jason Price of Icon Vs. Icon caught up with the legendary Dave Navarro to discuss the new album, his thoughts on the band’s longevity and more!

Jane’s Addiction is an iconic band at this point. To what do you attribute the band’s longevity?

It feels different in the sense that we have certainly evolved musically and as people and as a collective entity. I think that we’ve never got together to throw out an album and tour on it just because it was something to do and because it was something that was expected from us. We’ve only done this when our hearts were in and when we had something to say creatively.

The fourth studio album, ‘The Great Escape Artist’ will hit store shelves via Capitol on September 27. What initially brought you all back together to start work on a new creative endeavor?

The truth is it doesn’t feel like we reunited for this album. Beyond the fact that the band has been together since 2009 when we were touring with Nine Inch Nails, we were very much a working entity prior to even thinking about a new record.

Can you tell us a little about the writing process for ‘The Great Escape Artist’?

It was impt to me as a guitar player to not repeast myself as much as possible. I also personally spent more time with keyboards and writing keyboard lines where in the last I might have tried to emulate those lines on guitar. My intention was to broaden the depth of the music and introduce a new space that I hadn’t experimented with before.

What can you tell us about producer Rich Costey and his contributions to the album?

Rich is a real driven producer and has a clear vision of what it is he would like to accomplish sonically. He sticks to that vision and will go to great lengths to see it come across. Having said that, he is also in tune with what the band wants to do and is able to combine the efforts in a way that compliments both points of view.

How did TV On The Radio’s Dave Sitek get involved with the making of this record?

Dave Sitek had a very unusual role in that he creatively contributed to the process while never attaching himself to it. He still is and always has been a part of TV on the Radio and never intended to be a member of this band.

Where does this album stack up in comparison to the band’s previous releases?

This album is different because the band went in a new direction that we haven’t been in before but at the same time there are many familiar threads of where we used to come from. It’s an evolution from where we were, yet always remembering where we came from.

What is the significance of the album title ‘The Great Escape Artist’?

I really think that as a musician and not a lyricist it’s more my intention to let the album tracks and title say what it says to whoever listens to it. I’m fully aware that what that record has to say may vary from listener to listener. That is what makes music so magical.

You’ve seen the music industry change so much through the years. What advice would you give someone who wants to pursue a career in the music industry in this current climate?

My best advice for someone is to be sure that you love what you’re doing and you believe in what you’re doing because there are no guarantees in this industry, especially in today’s climate, and the only reason we got to where we are at is because we never bent for anyone.

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