Alexakis

Everclear's Art Alexakis takes band's new songs out for a spin

ROSS RAIHALA, THE OLYMPIAN

Originally published Friday, April 5, 2002

Everclear's latest album won't hit stores until later this year, but lead singer Art Alexakis has hit the road to preview what he calls "the most cohesive Everclear songs yet."

Alexakis, who turns 40 next week, will perform a solo acoustic show Sunday night in Seattle. He'll play Everclear hits such as "Father of Mine," "Santa Monica" and "I Will Buy You a New Life" alongside several tracks slated for the band's next record.

"I've been saying I'm 'test driving' the new songs," said Alexakis during a phone interview from his Portland home. "When you test drive a car, you don't try to change the car, you just see how it handles."

Alexakis has embarked on similar, low-key excursions in the past.

"Playing alone is a lot scarier, you don't have the protection of volume and all the other guys on stage. You're pretty naked," he said.

"But at the same time, it's really exciting and simple. People aren't jumping up and down, they're sitting there listening to your words."

Alexakis has high hopes for the new material, which will test Everclear's commercial power.

The band scored three hit albums in a row before releasing "Songs from an American Movie, Vol. 2: Good Time for a Bad Attitude" in late 2000. It was the first Everclear record in five years not to clear even 500,000 in sales.

Making Everclear

Born in California, Alexakis grew up playing in a number of bands, including the country-tinged punk act Colorfinger. After self-releasing an album in 1990, Colorfinger broke up and Alexakis followed his girlfriend to her hometown of Portland.

There he met bass player Craig Montoya and drummer Scott Cuthbert and the trio formed Everclear. They recorded a mini-album and hit the road, replacing Cuthbert with Greg Eklund in 1994.

That same year, Everclear signed a deal with Capitol Records and watched its major-label debut album "Sparkle and Fade" sell more than a million copies on the strength of the singles "Santa Monica" and "Heroin Girl."

Unlike a lot of the other flash-in-the-pan alternative rock acts of the time, Everclear actually followed up that record with an even bigger hit, 1997's "So Much for the Afterglow," which stayed on the charts and radio for more than a year thanks to the band's relentless promotion.

Billboard named Everclear "Alternative Artist of the Year" in 1998. The band returned two years later with a pair of albums entitled "Songs from an American Movie." Both dealt with Alexakis' divorce.

The first focused on the early days of the romance and featured more pop-friendly songs. It sold more than a million copies and received warm reviews. The All Music Guide wrote: "Very few of Everclear's peers could have pulled off an album that skillfully balances such an arty concept with such strong, strikingly revealing songs ... (it's the band's) best, most consistent effort to date -- and certainly whets the appetite for the sequel."

Released four months later, the harder-rocking "Vol. 2" failed to find an audience.

"I had wanted to put them out as a double CD," said Alexakis. "If (Capitol) would have agreed and worked it, it could have been great. But, basically what happened was exactly what I didn't want to happen. The pop record did well, the rock record got ignored."

Renewed excitement

In retrospect, Alexakis said some of the "Vol. 2" songs "sound tired." As a result, Everclear took an extended break from touring and recording. And it worked.

"Everything's exciting again," Alexakis said. "Musically, the new songs are heavier in some ways, but they're a lot more textured and mellow, too. They've got more breadth, dynamics, depth -- all that good stuff."

The band recorded the music earlier this year, and Alexakis has written about half the lyrics. After his solo tour, the band will hit the studio again to finish the album.

"It's giving me time to move arrangements around and add stuff," he said. "We don't have to be on the spot and do everything in four weeks. It's good to have this break and come back with a different perspective.

"I'm almost 40 and I've been writing songs for a long time. One of the things I've tried not to do is make the same record twice. (But the new material) revisits all the Everclear records in some ways. I'm not reinventing the wheel, it's still rock 'n' roll. But in these days of sugary pop and cookie-monster metal, that's pretty cool in itself."

Art Alexakis

- What: The Everclear lead singer will perform an all-ages, solo acoustic concert.

- When: 6 p.m. April 7.

- Where: Crocodile Cafe, 2200 Second Ave., Seattle.

- Tickets: $16.50 in advance, $18 at the door.

- For information: Call Ticketweb at 866-468-7623 or see www.ticketweb.com.

The Olympian Copyright 2002

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