It’s been a rough week for Jane’s Addiction and its fans. Following a pair of shows in New York City that toed the line between lackluster and disastrous, internal tensions boiled over on Friday when singer Perry Farrell punched guitarist Dave Navarro onstage during a performance in Boston. On Monday, in the aftermath of the mid-show scuffle, Jane’s Addiction canceled the rest of its reunion tour, saying the members would “take some time away as a group.”
So, it was a surprise to open Spotify on Wednesday morning and see a new single from Jane’s Addiction, “True Love”. The track follows July’s “Imminent Redemption” as the second new release from the core lineup of Farrell, Navarro, bassist Eric Avery, and drummer Stephen Perkins in 34 years. The truncated reunion tour marked the classic lineup’s first tour together in 14 years.
A simple, two-sentence press release announcing “True Love” does not comment on the band’s tumultuous week or whether it will ever return from hiatus. In light of the band’s—read: Farrell’s—public meltdown, the song’s lyrics become much more ominous than originally intended. Rather than conveying feelings of “True Love”, the song is an unfortunate reminder of what could have been for the legendary rock act had ego not gotten in the way.
“We can be together and not say a word / Or talk a big game to hear what the other’s heard,” Farrell sings, ironic given that the onstage dispute allegedly stemmed from the singer not being able to hear his vocals over his bandmate’s instruments. As Farrell told Esquire in an interview published days before the fracas, “Part of what Jane’s Addiction had going for it was we were all very cocky because we’re all very good at our instruments. That can be amazing because you get to hear amazing virtuosity, but you also lose something. You lose humility.”
The subdued track is shimmery and forlorn. If this is the final Jane’s Addiction song, the alt-rock bad boys are going out on a whimper rather than a roar.
“I am proud of the work we did on this song but I am equally saddened by the fact that you will likely never hear it live,” Navarro wrote on Instagram following the track’s release. “I’d also like to publicly apologize to our crew, [CRAWLERS] and their crew and to [Love And Rockets] and their crew. Thanks for being our travel companions for as long as you did. I am gutted that things ended this way and that so many jobs were lost as a result. May all of our hearts mend together.”
Shortly after the band canceled its tour, Farrell broke his silence on the altercation, “This weekend has been incredibly difficult and after having the time and space to reflect, it is only right that I apologize to my bandmates, especially Dave Navarro, fans, family and friends for my actions during Friday’s show. Unfortunately, my breaking point resulted in inexcusable behavior, and I take full accountability for how I chose to handle the situation.”
Check out the new (and possibly last) Jane’s Addiction single “True Love” below or on the platform of your choice. Catch up on the band’s dramatic recent events here.
Jane’s Addiction — “True Love” [Official Lyric Video]