Jane's Addiction Get Happy

After reuniting last year for the six-week Jubilee 2001 Tour, Jane's Addiction are back in the studio working on their first new LP of all new material since 1990's Ritual de lo Habitual. In fact, the outing was the band's impetus for recording, according to drummer Stephen Perkins.

"We weren't even sure that we liked each other anymore, and we decided we loved each other again!" he says. "It's fun to recreate the old stuff in a live situation, but it's so much better to create new music."

And, compared to the band's late Eighties/early Nineties heyday, the current vibe is very upbeat, according to the band. "Our friendships are so solid now," says Perkins. "It's a great feeling to get to see each other everyday, and know we're going to create together."

Teaming with veteran producer Bob Ezrin (Pink Floyd, Aerosmith), the band has already laid down the frameworks for eight tracks. "We're having a great time with him," says singer Perry Farrell. "We're trying to get him to join the band, and we're trying to get him to dress differently." The foursome hopes to release the product of these sessions sometime this fall or winter, but no label is set.

Also up in the air are the future plans for Farrell's hibernating Lollapalooza festival. "God willing, one day it's gonna happen," he says. "We're working on a new concept for festival-goers. It's going to take from now until next year to develop . . . we hope. We're working fast and furious, but it's going to take some time."

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Song Stories

“The Pretender”

Foo Fighters | 2007

This song wasn't part of the planned track listing for 2007's Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace, and was put together in a day. "It happened after we recorded a lot of stuff," said Dave Grohl. Yet it ended up as the album opener and the lead single. Grohl called it "a stomping Foo Fighters uptempo song with a little bit of Chuck Berry in it." The singer hinted at the lyrics' political overtones: "Everyone's been f---ed over before and I think a lot of people feel f---ed over right now and they're not getting what they were promised."

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