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Duff McKagan Says the World Needs New Jane's Addiction Songs

Posted on Jun 24th 2010 4:00PM by Steve Baltin

Reality shows and want ads might be fine for some bands looking for a new member, but when you're 51 like Perry Farrell or 46 like Duff McKagan, there are many more civilized ways to join a group. Take McKagan's invitation into Jane's Addiction for example -- the bassist was asked after a night of dining out on the town.

"Perry and I went to dinner with my wife and Etty [Farrell, Perry's wife] and at the end of dinner he said, 'So what are you up to?,'" McKagan tells Spinner. "I said, 'Well, I have Loaded working, writing songs.' He says, 'Well, that's kind of what I wanted to talk to you about, writing some songs. Would you be interested in coming in and checking it out?'"

McKagan was flattered and intrigued, but after playing with Guns N' Roses and Velvet Revolver and having his own band, Loaded, he understandably took a slow approach. "I was like, 'Yeah, I'll check it out, [but] everything's gotta work great ,'" he says. ".All of us have been around a long time -- if it doesn't feel right then we know."

So, how does it feel so far? "Things did feel right. We recorded three songs a couple weeks ago and it sounds huge, dynamic. [We] went and played a couple of shows in Europe and it was really fun," he says. "I had a great time playing with Perry. [They're] really good guys to travel with. I'm having a f---ing blast."

Despite the bands McKagan has played with before, he is still impressed with Jane's. "This is like rock royalty, Jane's," he says. The band is currently talking about a 2011 release for the new album, and McKagan promises there is a need for new Jane's material. "People want that old-school original because a lot of rock music right now is so paint-by-numbers. It's bland, really bland," he says. " I've heard some s--- on the radio. I'm like, 'You gotta be f---ing kidding me.' At least where I come from that's not good. That's not f---ing good."