{"id":32710,"date":"2017-08-11T16:42:06","date_gmt":"2017-08-11T06:42:06","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/maytherockbewithyou.com\/mtrbwy\/?p=32710"},"modified":"2017-08-16T07:29:11","modified_gmt":"2017-08-15T21:29:11","slug":"art-alexakis-everclear","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/maytherockbewithyou.com\/mtrbwy\/2017\/08\/art-alexakis-everclear\/","title":{"rendered":"Art Alexakis of Everclear"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>\u201cYeah I think there are always people where the first thing they hear from a band is all they ever like, and there are people like \u201cthey were so much better last time\u201d that didn\u2019t give \u2018Afterglow \u2019a chance, but the majority of our fans got what this record was about, it\u2019s very dramatic, it\u2019s very cinematic and had a lot of textures\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

From release: For over two decades, Everclear’s sound has reflected the rock, post-punk and singer\/songwriter influences of Art Alexakis, including acts like X, The Replacements, Pixies, Bruce Springsteen, Tom Petty, and Elvis Costello.\u00a0 Everclear found success with their first three albums on Capitol Records, Sparkle and Fade, So Much For The Afterglow and Songs From An American Movie Vol. One: Learning How To Smile, which were all certified platinum.\u00a0 In 2015 the band released their ninth studio album titled Black Is The New Black via The End Records\/ADA. So Much For The Afterglow is the album that quickly won over listeners with its trademark combination of melody, rhythmic energy, evocative lyrics and thundering guitar crunch.\u00a0 It remains a beloved fan favourite and continues to inspire new generations of musicians & music lovers today.<\/p>\n

We gave our old mate Art a call to talk about Everclear\u2019s return to Australia in celebration for the 20th<\/sup> anniversary of \u2018So Much For The Afterglow\u2019, memories of the album, new music, touring, solo albums and much more\u2026<\/p>\n

It\u2019s been a couple of years since we last chatted, so let\u2019s catch up. How have the last two years been for you?
\nThey\u2019ve been pretty good, man, I\u2019ve just been working and had some back issues and got some surgery but doing really good now. Just got off the \u2018So Much For The Afterglow\u2019 20th<\/sup> anniversary shows that we did in The States and it was the biggest, most successful tour we\u2019ve done in almost twenty years, it was great.<\/p>\n

So of course we\u2019re here because you\u2019re heading back to Australia to celebrate the 20th<\/sup><\/strong>\u00a0anniversary of \u2018So Much For The Afterglow\u2019 and you\u2019ll be playing it in its entirety, what was it like going back and essentially relearning and revisiting songs you may not have played for years and that were written in a much different time in your life?
\n<\/strong>Well yeah, it was a trip, I mean all the hits came from that album and some fan favourites from that album, but there a lot of songs we don\u2019t play that often a couple of songs we never played like a song called \u2018Why I Don\u2019t Believe In God\u2019 which we now do up on stage with an acoustic twelve string and that\u2019s pretty cool, we\u2019ll be playing that when we come down, we\u2019ll be playing all the songs off the record \u2018Local God\u2019 of course which of course they put on the Australian release, but yeah it\u2019s a trip playing a lot of these songs, it\u2019s fun, it\u2019s like having new songs in our repertoire that are pretty familiar but I had to relearn them and sit down with them for a couple of days.<\/p>\n

Set wise, what else can we expect on the night, have you figured out how these shows will be structured?
\n<\/strong>We come out and we do side one from \u2018Afterglow\u2019 and then we stop and we\u2019ll do some other songs, and stuff off our first album, maybe four or five songs and then we\u2019ll do side two from \u2018Afterglow\u2019 and then we come back and do all the hits \u2018Wonderful\u2019, \u2018Santa Monica\u2019 and all the other hits, a couple of fan favourites like \u2018Local God\u2019, it\u2019s a long show.<\/p>\n

So let\u2019s jump back to when you released \u2018So Much For The Afterglow\u2019, what do you remember about releasing it?
\n<\/strong>When we released the record it was interesting, it wasn\u2019t a huge hit right away, it was pretty successful because we were coming off the success of \u2018Sparkle and Fade\u2019, but it was a little different and I think it just took people a minute to get it. \u2018Everything To Everyone\u2019 was the first single in The States and that did really well it went to number one pretty quick and stayed there for a while. But the thing about \u2018Afterglow\u2019 in The States, it was never a top ten album only towards the end of the album with \u2018Father of Mine\u2019 we did a version that was more acoustic with beats and stuff that went to pop radio, but until then it was always in the twenties, like other albums would come out and sell and then just go away and we just kind of stayed selling about 30 \u2013 50,000 records a week for about two years and that was kind of the success for the record. It had so many songs on it that people wanted to hear, constant airplay, we just toured it incessantly.<\/p>\n

What do you think it was about the album that people just attached to? Was it maybe the fact it was a little different with each song that was released?
\n<\/strong>Yeah I think there are always people where the first thing they hear from a band is all they ever like, and there are people like \u201cthey were so much better last time\u201d that didn\u2019t give \u2018Afterglow \u2019a chance, but the majority of our fans got what this record was about, it\u2019s very dramatic, it\u2019s very cinematic and had a lot of textures but this is the album I had to prove myself on because coming back from the success of the first record when everyone wants to call you a one hit wonder and talk a lot of smack but I just hit them back and I wrote a song called \u2018One Hit Wonders\u2019 just to shut them up. It was our way of saying F.U. to people *laughs*<\/p>\n

So we had \u2018Black is The New Black\u2019 out in 2015, are there currently any plans for new music soon?<\/strong>
\nI was out of town a week or so ago doing shows an now I\u2019m home and working in my studio that I just built in my house and I\u2019m going to go and make a solo record, just me and a guitar, maybe some other instruments here and there but whatever it is I\u2019ll play it and sing it. It\u2019s something I always wanted to do but never really did because doing a solo record with musicians is what I do with Everclear, so it wouldn\u2019t be that different but this is going to be different. I\u2019m really looking forward to this because it\u2019s gonna be a challenge and it will be fun.<\/p>\n

In terms of touring what does the rest of the year have in store for you?<\/strong>
\nWell we\u2019re doing a bunch of shows this summer in the States and after Australia we\u2019re gonna play New Zealand as well and then we go to Japan for a couple of dates and then we come home and do some more shows until the end of the year and when I\u2019m home I\u2019ll be working on finishing my solo record which I want to have out next year, don\u2019t have a date for it. So what we\u2019re doing right now I\u2019m just happy to be home and working and doing something different and chatting every night but by the time I get down to Australia I\u2019ll be ready to go again after having a break.<\/p>\n

You have been back to Australia a few times now in the last few years after that big break, can we expect to see you constantly now?<\/strong>
\nWell since 2012 I\u2019ve been there three times and it\u2019s gonna be four times after this run, but yeah we didn\u2019t come back for a while and I wish we had because it seems we had a really good fanbase built up and now I kinda have to start back from scratch but just come back and reintroduce myself to a bunch of new people and it is what it is, and I\u2019m excited to get back and I\u2019m bringing my wife and my daughter with me so it\u2019s gonna be fun.<\/p>\n

So over time obviously things change but what would you say is the one thing that\u2019s stayed the same in your time making music?<\/strong>
\nI think my sense of my personality has changed and life has gone on as I\u2019ve gotten older and more patient but I think I still have that same tenacity and same ability that it takes to do something creative. I think I have a better outlook on things but I think I\u2019m the same guy where if something isn\u2019t the way I want it to be I make it the way I want it to be but I\u2019m still kind of like that and that can be a pain in the ass to people who want to do it their way but if you\u2019re playing in my house you\u2019re gonna play things my way and I think that\u2019s what Everclear fans have always wanted, they want me to be me and that\u2019s it.<\/p>\n

Lastly let\u2019s look ahead to the future as always, so finish this sentence for me, by the end of 2017 Everclear want to?<\/strong>
\nBy the end of 2017 Everclear wants to take a break *laughs* we\u2019ve got shows all the way until Christmas right now and I know we have shows in January as well and hopefully the solo tour will come out. We\u2019re just having a blast right now and with the \u2018So Much For The Afterglow\u2019 tour down there but so many people who didn\u2019t know that we were still around I don\u2019t know why because we\u2019ve been touring pretty constantly, but you know I think that album just has really connected with so many people in such an intimate way that I think people wanted to go back and get reconnected with that and it was so much fun to do.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

EVERCLEAR – AUSTRALIAN TOUR DATES<\/strong><\/p>\n

Friday 29th September 2017<\/strong>
\nThe Tivoli Theatre, Brisbane
\nTickets available from 10.00am, Monday 12th June
\nwww.ticketmaster.com.au<\/a><\/p>\n

Saturday 30th September 2017<\/strong>
\nCambridge Hotel, Newcastle
\nTickets available from 10.00am, Monday 12th June
\nwww.ticketbooth.com.au<\/a><\/p>\n

Tuesday 3rd October 2017<\/strong>
\nThe Metro Theatre, Sydney
\nTickets available from 10.00am, Monday 12th June
\nwww.ticketek.com.au<\/a><\/p>\n

Wednesday 4th October 2017<\/strong>
\nThe Gov, Adelaide
\nTickets available from 10.00am, Monday 12th June
\nwww.oztix.com.au<\/a><\/p>\n

Thursday 5th October 2017<\/strong>
\nCroxton Band Room, Melbourne
\nTickets available from 10.00am, Monday 12th June
\nwww.oztix.com.au<\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Essential Information<\/strong><\/h2>\n

From:<\/strong> Portland, OR, USA<\/p>\n

Band members: <\/strong>Art Alexakis (Vocals\/Guitar), Freddy Herrera (Bass\/Background Vocals), Davey French (Guitar\/Background Vocals),\u00a0and Jake Margolis (Drums).<\/p>\n

Website:<\/strong> www.everclearmusic.com<\/a><\/p>\n