Music is more than entertainment, it could be the savior of many. Providing an outlet of emotional release and expression, music has always been an intricate part of Singer-Songwriter Art Alexakis, dating back to his childhood. A troubled youth, Alexakis beat the odds, after many years of hard work, and began the powerhouse Alternative Rock band known to all as Everclear. Attaining major success with 1992’s Sparkle and Fade along with 1997’s So Much for the Afterglow, Everclear became superstars, releasing six more studio records, including 2015’s Black Is The New Black. While the record industry has changed, and all artists struggle with record sales, Alexakis holds conviction in his work, and to many, turned out one of Everclear’s best efforts with Black Is The New Black. Recently we sat down with the humble and appreciative Alexakis to talk about his road to Rock-stardom, living his dreams, his desire to help others, and much more.
CrypticRock.com – You have kept Everclear going strong for almost twenty-five years now. In that time, the band has attained major success and toured the world. What has the journey been like for you?
Art Alexakis – You know, that’s a good question. It’s hard to get perspective on it because I’ve been in the middle of it the whole time, I kind of have a myopic view of it. It’s been a wonderful way of living, I haven’t had a boss, I haven’t had an office or dig ditches. I did that when I was younger, I’ve done all sorts of work. My wife makes fun of me because I’ve had like 100 jobs in my life because I was a musician and I was always changing jobs.
Now I am in a place where I get to do what I love to do. I am 54, I get to play Rock-n-Roll. I am at a Rock show right now, in a couple of hours there are going to be thousands of people to see me and the other band, what a great life! Even when things aren’t great; things come up all the time, people die, people get sick, that’s part of life. When you get older, that’s going to happen more and more. I’ve gotten to go to places and meet people and experience things that have been transformational. I can’t think of a better word than that, it’s really made an impact on me.
CrypticRock.com – It sounds like a tremendous experience, you getting to live your dreams. It has been a long ride for Everclear and you have consistently released new material, including the band’s most recent, 2015’s Black is the New Black. Through all the ups and downs, what would you say has been the key inspiration for you to keep the band going?
Art Alexakis – Another really good question. Belief in myself and my own ideals, knowing sometimes, like anything, I hit the mark and sometimes I miss, sometimes I get close. One of the things in life that I’ve learned is even from my mistakes, when I fall down and when I screw up and miss the mark, at least I can learn from it. I can get closer or better next time. That’s kind of how it is with writing. You set a goal and you shoot for it, towards its heart. Before you turn it in, hopefully you show 100% about it. That doesn’t mean that there won’t be a cringe factor. I am very fortunate that there is very little cringe factor in my music from what I put out. I pretty much stand by, I’d say 95% of the work that I put out. I still feel about it today what I felt about it 25 years ago.
CrypticRock.com – That is great to hear that you still feel strongly about the music that you have written all those years ago. Speaking of hitting the mark, last year’s Black is the New Black was an extremely well-received album by both fans and critics. Now over a year old, in hindsight, are you happy with the tracks on the album?
Art Alexakis – Honestly, I think it’s one of the best records I’ve ever made. I thought that at the time, the best critically acclaimed we have ever put out bar none. It sold what it sold, I feel like I nailed it. I feel if we put that record out 10 years ago, it probably would have sold millions of copies, you never know.
To be honest with you, there is a point where you just have to believe in what you do and do it for the right reasons. I wanted to make an unadulterated Rock album, stark and heavy, just pull the bile out of my body and soul and just put it into a record that held up over time. I feel as strongly about it today as I did the other day. I just played it for some friends of mine, one of the bands here on tour and they are like, “What the fuck is this?” I go, “This is the record we put out last year dude.” I love it when people react to it like that. I thought it was a solid record.
CrypticRock.com – It certainly is a very solid Rock album. Speaking of the tour, you are currently in the midst of another Summerland Tour. What has running the Summerland Tour been like for you over the past five years?
Art Alexakis – This run is a little bit different because all the bands that are on have been on it before, it’s like some of my favorite bands. I just wanted to put together a bill that was just going to knock people’s socks off. I got Sugar Ray headlining, Lit goes on before us, and the first band is Sponge out of Detroit. Just great Rock-n-Roll bands, great songs to sing along, the bands are playing some new songs. It’s just a lot of fun, 4 bands in 3 hours, not a lot of filler. It’s pretty awesome.
CrypticRock.com – Absolutely. It is a great lineup and what is great about the tour is that you have a great list of artists year after year; artists which many have a lot of fond memories of in the ’90s. Most of all, this is more than nostalgic, this is about the fact that these acts still are making music today, right?
Art Alexakis – Exactly, you are saying my spiel 100%. I think there is a level of nostalgia, and I think a certain level of nostalgia is healthy and good. I think that’s part of growing up and growing older, but at the same time, all these bands are great bands. We are all writing new music, we are all pushing ourselves. This is what we do, we are not doing this because our reality show isn’t working out, we are doing this cause this is what we want to do. That’s what you want to be in life, you want to get your bakery from a guy who doesn’t want to do anything else but bake. You know what I mean? You want passion in everything in life. Although, it doesn’t always work out like that, but it’s what you should be shooting for. Here on this tour, we are all guys that have been around for years and we are still passionate about what we do. I think that comes through on the music and on stage.
CrypticRock.com – It certainly does. It is a fun time, the summer is a great time for Rock-n-Roll, whether it be indoors or outdoors, and what better way than this group of bands. You have been very active through the years in bringing drug awareness to children, and you have also been very concerned with the welfare of children. Do you currently have any new projects going on to help the youth of America?
Art Alexakis – Well, I am writing a book about my childhood. I think that will affect people; I don’t know if it is going to directly affect children. I had a pretty sketchy life growing up. I was abused very young, abandoned, my oldest brother died when I was 12 from an overdose, he was 21. I am just telling my story of my childhood and I think that could affect people. I am also working on a program of doing song coaching and mentoring that I’m going to be working with people live online. We will be working on songs in a class situation and one on one. Once I’ve got all the bugs figured out, that’s going to kick in January of 2017. Once I’ve got that figured out later next year for a few classes, I want to take it to high schoolers and do mentoring and coaching. Just creative coaching, not just songs, but encouraging and inspiring kids to bring out themselves and not be afraid to be themselves; to be weird and unique.
CrypticRock.com – That is really great to hear, now more than ever, the youth of America needs things like that. You have always been pretty vocal about loving Classic Rock. You had said once, “A day is incomplete unless you listen to some Led Zeppelin.” What are some of your musical influences?
Art Alexakis – It goes back to The Beatles, it goes back to old Country music such as Merle Haggard, Hank Williams, and the Newton Brothers. I love old R&B, Motown, Otis Redding, Funk, the 70’s, Hip Hop, Punk Rock, and Frank Sinatra. I love all sorts of stuff. Not only is it the voice that they are singing with, but the words they are saying; a great voice is a great voice. I just love music, I really do. It’s been the thing that has kept me from being 100% lonely when no one else is around and it’s the fire that’s in my belly; music has been everything to me. It’s like the air, I know it sounds like a Hallmark card, but it really is (laughs).
CrypticRock.com – (laughs) Completely understandable. All those influences that you just had mentioned, that bleeds through in Everclear’s music. If someone has followed the band from start to finish, you can see it. You kind of have this Punk Rock vibe, you tell your fans in the music, “Look, you may not fit in there, but come and fit in over here, you belong with us then.” That is a special type of unity that the music brings to people.
Art Alexakis – Yeah, I think you fit in wherever you want to be. That’s the thing about coaching and mentoring. It’s so hard when you are a teenager, if you are not popular you are totally on the outside. You don’t realize that no one is telling them, except their parents, that you don’t want to peak in high school, you don’t want to peak in elementary school. Be weird, be yourself, a time will come when it will all make sense. You won’t be running against the grain in the world, the world will be running underneath you. That’s hard to see when you are a teenager or when you are a young kid. That’s how I raised my children to really appreciate themselves in life in different experiences, different music, and different art. Just give them options in life and let them choose from those options.
CrypticRock.com – That is great advice to give. My last question for you is pertaining to movies. CrypticRock.com covers music and Horror/Sci-Fi films. If you are a fan of Horror or Sci-Fi films, what are some of your favorites?
Art Alexakis – Not a huge Horror fan, I find life scary enough as it is, but I am a huge Science Fiction fan. I love Blade Runner (1982). I like even bad Science Fiction though, I like them all. One of my favorite writers is a Science Fiction writer named David Brin, he wrote a book back in the 80’s called The Postman, which was a post-apocalyptic story after the nuclear bomb and a revolution in this country. Kevin Costner made a movie of it, which was horrible, it didn’t stick to the book or it would have been a great movie. I love the reboot of Star Wars and Star Trek, I think they did those really well. There was a weird movie with Justin Timberlake from 2011 called In Time. I thought it was a great movie, it was a really simple story and I loved it. I loved the implications of it and what they do to bide time, it’s a Fantasy.
CrypticRock.com –That was a cool one, while you are talking about newer films, did you see Looper (2012)?
Art Alexakis – Oh, I loved Looper. You know what was another good movie that didn’t get the respect it deserved? It was Jupiter Ascending. It’s by the Wachowski siblings, the same guys that did The Matrix (1999). Jupiter Ascending was a great story, a little overdone. Looper, I thought was really great, really raw. Thank you for reminding me about that one.
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