Eric Avery quits again? Jane’s Addiction writing new songs without original bassist

Core Jane’s Addiction members Perry Farrell, Dave Navarro and Stephen Perkins are writing new material for what would be the band’s first album since 2003 reunion disc Strays — but they’re doing so without bassist Eric Avery, who rejoined the band last year for the first time since 1991.

Farrell this week has mentioned the new Jane’s writing sessions several times on his Twitter feed, prompting Avery to clarify matters with this message, tweeted Thursday:

“fyi, to answer the question directly, i am not writing with janes addiction.”

Today, Farrell offered the most specific details so far of the Jane’s sessions, tweeting:

“David, Stephen, and I with new writing partner, went into the garage. Felt like old days, except no cassette recorder. Crafting w/Protools.”

It’s unclear who this “new writing partner” is, and whether it’s Strays-era bassist Chris Chaney, who played with Jane’s Addiction on New Year’s Eve at a small club in Aspen, Colo. — a gig Avery apparently couldn’t make.

Yet if Avery is once again parting ways with Farrell and Co., it hasn’t quite happened yet: He’s still due to tour Australia with Jane’s Addiction in February and March, to make up dates canceled last year after Perkins was hospitalized with an elbow infection. Farrell also has said he’s working on setting up Jane’s dates in South America.

The new writing sessions follow last year’s studio efforts with Nine Inch Nails’ Trent Reznor, which resulted in the original lineup’s first new recordings since 1990’s Ritual de lo Habitual: the debut studio versions of Jane’s staples “Chip Away” and “Whores” — which previously only had appeared on the band’s 1987 self-titled live album — that were released online as part of a free EP issued to promote last year’s joint Jane’s Addiction/Nine Inch Nails tour.

See Jane’s Addiction’s Australian tour dates after the jump…

Jane’s Addiction tour dates:

Feb. 20: Soundwave Festival, Brisbane, Australia
Feb. 21: Soundwave Festival, Sydney, Austrlia
Feb. 23: Enmore Theatre, Sydney, Australia
Feb. 24: Palace Theatre, Melbourne, Australia
Feb. 26: Soundave Festival, Melbourne, Australia
Feb. 27: Soundwave Festival, Adelaide, Australia
March 1: Soundwave Festival, Perth, Australia

PREVIOUSLY ON SLICING UP EYEBALLS:

• Quick Spins: Jane’s Addiction, Alison Moyet, Morrissey, Ian McCulloch
• Jane’s Addiction cancels Australian dates after Stephen Perkins hospitalized
• Jane’s Addiction, Nine Inch Nails offer free Trent Reznor-produced EP
• Report: Jane’s Addiction, Depeche Mode, Beastie Boys to headline Lollapalooza
• Official dates: Jane’s Addiction and Nine Inch Nails to unleash joint tour
• Jane’s Addiction opens up its ‘Cabinet of Curiosities’ with new box set