janesaddiction.org

Perry Farrell may well be the godfather of the entire alternative scene that’s kept music exciting for the last 20 years. As the frontman of Jane’s Addiction, he and the band—with Dave Navarro on guitar—took the bombastic L.A. hair metal look and sound and warped it into something much more interesting. Jane’s was more arty but also somehow more dangerous than their poodle-haired compadres. Still, creating left-field music with enough edge and melody to reach a huge audience wasn’t enough. Farrell went on to create Lollapalooza, a touring circus of a live music festival, championing bands such as the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Pearl Jam, Sonic Youth, Nine Inch Nails, the Prodigy, Rage Against the Machine, Green Day, Smashing Pumpkins, Beck, the Flaming Lips—a who’s who of innovative, eclectic rock of the 1990s. Now, after stints with Porno for Pyros and Satellite Party, Farrell has passed around the peace pipe with the original lineup of Jane’s, and we’re betting the quartet is gearing up for a full tour of reunion shows. Our fingers are certainly crossed. Check out Rhino’s new box set for evidence of the band’s power.

PLAYBOY: Many different titles have been bestowed on you, starting with the godfather of alternative nation. What’s your favorite title?
FARRELL: Godlike genius. That was an award Jane’s Addiction got from the British music magazine NME last year. Now that we’re playing together again, we needed to start a company, and I decided to call it Godlike Geniuses. They said people would think we are full of ourselves, but I said, “Who cares—we are full of ourselves.”

PLAYBOY: You’ve always championed new artists. Who are you into right now?
FARRELL: I like Santogold and MGMT. I’m into Simian Mobile Disco and Justice. I like Goldfrapp. Mickey Avalon is hilarious.

PLAYBOY: What’s the best part of working with Mick Rock?
FARRELL: I love working with Mick. He frees your inhibitions and makes you want to perform. He really appreciates performance. With other photographers you don’t get the same warmth and human connection. He’s hilarious and extremely talented as well.

PLAYBOY: You’re very design savvy—you did Jane’s Addiction’s album cover art, for instance. How did you approach your Rock the Rabbit T-shirt design?
FARRELL: Well, I was excited about the project. Just the word “playboy” is a great word. Being a playboy is such a fun thing. What an incredible way to brand yourself. But creating a T-shirt is different from album art. You look to create images that are flattering and that don’t interfere too much with the face of the person wearing the shirt. You’re riding a thin line between wanting to do great art and going over the top without taking away from the person in the shirt.

PLAYBOY: We heard you grew up with the magazine.
FARRELL: Yeah, my dad subscribed to Playboy. My brother continued the tradition. I remember when I went on my high school graduation trip, my surf buddies and I drove from the tip of Florida up to New York along the coastline, surfing all the way up. And my brother was really generous and gave us a stack of Playboys to take with us. I remember reading Playboy on the sand dunes at Montauk, at the end of Long Island—camping overnight by a fire, reading Playboys.