Interview: Everclear Sparkle Once Again
As Everclear leader Art Alexakis prepares for the Spring 2015 release of his band’s next album, Black is the New Black, he can’t 
help but be one enthusiastic, grateful fella.
“I’m 52 and I still get to do this – it’s awesome!” exclaims Alexakis while in conversation with Riffyou.com. “I appreciate it more than anything. I’m out there; I have a great family; my wife is young and hot and loves me; I have great kids; and a great band.”
In over 20 years of making albums, Alexakis has contributed his share of hits to the rock n’ roll landscape. While Everclear’s 1995 effort, Sparkle and Fade (which features the seminal ‘90s classic, “Santa Monica”), is viewed by many as the band’s finest moment, songs from latter albums like, “Everything to Everyone,” “Father of Mine,” and “Wonderful,” are instantly capable of transporting you back to an era where hell hadn’t yet opened up and unleashed One Direction upon the airwaves.
“I’ve been getting really tired of all the poppy bands that are getting played on alternative radio now. It all sounds like pop to me. There are some songs that I like, but I’m not hearing deep albums,” offers Alexakis. “There are a lot of people getting tired of pop and looking for rock again. That’s always a good thing.”
This is a relief to Alexakis, someone who grew up listening to everything from the 1970’s golden era of AM radio, to Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath, The Pixies, The Replacements, Jane’s Addiction, and any sort of punk rock he’d encounter along the way. He just wants his rock n’ roll…and there’s nothing wrong with that.
When discussing Black is the New Black, Alexakis explains that it’s reminiscent of the early Everclear sound, one that he says never really got away from him, even if it hasn’t always been as obviously present.
“It’s very much a throwback, mainly because it’s so guitar-driven, heavy, and hard,” explains Alexakis, who is joined on this album by Davey French (guitar), Freddy Herrera (bass), Josh Crawley (keyboards), and Sean Winchester (drums). “But at the same time, I’m a different guy. I’m more grown up and I think there’s more of a sense of humour here, even though there is some darkness on the record. There’s light at the end of the tunnel, but the tunnel looks very far away sometimes,” laughs.
It is that sense of humour and darkness that Alexakis has been sharing while on the road for his one-man, ‘Songs & Stories’ tour, a run of dates where he strips his songs down to acoustic form, all the while providing attendees with insight about how they came to be and/or what inspired them.
“I like the excitement of getting up there and stripping things down,” concedes Alexakis. “I love to hear songs stripped down by people and given to me the way they originally were before becoming produced. I like seeing people up there without a net playing their songs. If you fuck up a word, who cares? Keep going. I want the human aspect of it – that’s exciting and fulfilling.”
-Adam Grant
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