{"id":38806,"date":"2020-01-14T08:11:53","date_gmt":"2020-01-13T21:11:53","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/maytherockbewithyou.com\/mtrbwy\/?p=38806"},"modified":"2020-01-14T08:12:03","modified_gmt":"2020-01-13T21:12:03","slug":"art-alexakis-of-everclear-interview-2020","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/maytherockbewithyou.com\/mtrbwy\/2020\/01\/art-alexakis-of-everclear-interview-2020\/","title":{"rendered":"Art Alexakis of Everclear"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>\u201c\u2026we\u2019ll be doing all our hits but we\u2019ll be going deep into a lot of our earlier records and songs we haven\u2019t played for a while so I think it\u2019s gonna be fun.\u201d<\/p>\n

From Release: Veterans of alternative rock, Everclear almost walked away with a Grammy\u00a0award for\u00a0Best Rock Instrumental Performance\u00a0for their track ‘El Distorto De Melodica’\u00a0in 1998 as well as reaching #24 for their classic hit ‘Santa Monica’ on\u00a0triple j’s Hottest 100 in 1996.\u00a0Celebrating their 20th anniversary in their most recent tour to Australia in 2017, it’s safe to say the crowds it will draw will be punters who are ready to revel in an atmosphere nostalgic\u00a0of pure 90s grunge.<\/p>\n

At home in Pasadena California we gave Art Alexakis from Everclear a call to talk about the bands upcoming shows in Australia, new music, his solo record, his MS, and much more\u2026<\/p>\n

To start, it\u2019s been just over two years since we last chatted, so let\u2019s catch up, how have the last two years been for you?<\/strong>
\nInteresting, I mean since the last time I was there I have written and recorded and released a solo record, at the time I was already diagnosed with MS but I wasn\u2019t public about that, I don\u2019t know if we talked about that but I wasn\u2019t hiding it you know, I talked to people about it but it wasn\u2019t something I was 100% public about. So I came out pubic last year and that was interesting. Other than that I bought a house and my wife, I and my daughter love it and my daughter is doing well she\u2019s about to go to middle school very soon so it\u2019s very exciting she\u2019s growing up. Other than that, man, just getting ready for a big year of touring with Everclear, we\u2019re coming to Australia for the longest, never been there for that long at one time, god, it\u2019s going to be three and a half weeks.<\/p>\n

You\u2019re heading back and embarking on a pretty big tour of Australia, what can fans expect on this run of shows?<\/strong>
\nWell we\u2019re doing the Hotter Than Hell shows and we\u2019re also doing Everclear shows as well. The Hotter Than Hell shows it\u2019s gonna be a lot of fun for us, man, we\u2019re gonna flex the four piece, two guitars, hard rock, punk rock, we\u2019ll be doing all our hits but we\u2019ll be going deep into a lot of our earlier records and songs we haven\u2019t played for a while so I think it\u2019s gonna be fun.<\/p>\n

Not only with your own headline shows but also as the headliner as part of the Hotter Than Hell festival. How if in any way does the preparation for a festival differ to a headline show for you guys?<\/strong>
\nIt depends, we haven\u2019t done a lot of festivals in recent years so we\u2019re excited to do this one. I\u2019ve just been going through songs and talking to the guys and we\u2019re playing songs that are a little deeper, but we\u2019re playing the hits. We\u2019re even going to do a song or two off my solo record that\u2019s more electrified because it\u2019s mostly acoustic. So it\u2019s gonna be a fun tour, it\u2019s gonna be a lot of fun.<\/p>\n

Australia has been a great market for you since you\u2019ve been coming back since 2012, what do you think it is about the music of Everclear that connects with people?<\/strong>
\nI can easily tell you and it\u2019s not since 2012 it\u2019s since 1995 when the first album came out, Australia is a rock and roll place, I don\u2019t care what age you are, whatever demographics are going on, rock and roll has always been in its various forms punk rock, hard rock, metal, whatever, guitar, bass, drums, and vocals is just something that is really ingrained in the DNA of Australia as far as culturally goes and you guys are very loyal, if you like something then you like it now. I think US crowds can be a lot more fickle but Australian crowds are just the best, absolutely the best.<\/p>\n

You recently released Sun Songs your first solo album, after so long, why was now the time to release a solo album?<\/strong>
\nI just felt like doing it. I\u2019m not like from industries where it\u2019s like \u201cOh this is the perfect time to do this\u201d I always do stuff when I\u2019m not supposed to do it, I don\u2019t care, it\u2019s what I wanted to do I was writing new songs and they seemed like should be better to be on acoustic guitar and I\u2019ve done enough Everclear records and I thought it would be fun to do a record all by myself and just keep it really simple and real and not really pro-tools or autotuned at all, just a raw record. Like the records I grew up in the Seventies. I like the way it felt.<\/p>\n

It came out really well, is this something you then thought this is something I can continue for Art?<\/strong>
\nMaybe, I don\u2019t know, like I said I\u2019m not that clever, I don\u2019t think wow man, I\u2019ve got this great vision of what I want to do for my new record. I think I had that for the first few but it\u2019s not like that anymore. When I\u2019m ready to write and start making a record I\u2019ll just start writing songs and I\u2019ll be OK I\u2019ve got like three or four songs I should probably start working on a record with an idea of that these songs should sound like and where it\u2019s going. I have been thinking about what I\u2019d want a new Everclear record to sound like and I\u2019ll keep that secret for now, but I have been thinking about that and picking up my guitar and playing a lot of electric guitar in my studio, just riffing on big guitars and that has a different vibe to the acoustic thing so we\u2019ll see where it goes.<\/p>\n

I was going to ask can we expect more music from Everclear as a band, but the answer seems to be yes and when it\u2019s ready *laughs*<\/strong>
\nYeah, when it\u2019s ready. I think so, if I live that long I think I\u2019m gonna live that long. I\u2019m a tough old guy.<\/p>\n

Was there one piece of advice you were given when you started making music that has stuck with you and you still refer to to this day?<\/strong>
\nIf it was advice that resonated then, yeah, I think good advice and wisdom never goes out of vogue or out of date, it might change because the perspective has changed, maybe you\u2019re coming from a more aerial view or maybe you\u2019re still down in the dirt, it\u2019s different, but no I think I\u2019ve learned a lot of the lessons I needed to learn but I think I still have things to learn. When you think you\u2019re beyond learning I think that\u2019s when you start sliding backwards and I\u2019ve never been there, or I haven\u2019t been there for many, many years, I\u2019m still excited every day I get up and do my work out, eat my vegan breakfast, and I feel good and I hate being a vegan but I am a vegan for my diet for my disease, but I just feel good, I\u2019m about to go have lunch with my daughter and wife and then I\u2019m leaving on tour.<\/p>\n

You mentioned you had to change your diet, has that impacted the way you tour now?<\/strong>
\nNot really, a little bit, I used to be like I\u2019ll do seven days a week I don\u2019t care, but now it\u2019s like maybe we keep it to four or five, like most bands, most bands keep it to four shows a week, I\u2019m like four or five, I\u2019m still a glutton for punishment but I fly better than I used to and when we get a bus I take the back lounge for prep and to feel more human and yeah I\u2019ve been pulling a little rank, I mean I pay for it *laughs* but the guys are cool with that and it\u2019s not like it\u2019s out of control, not like I make them fly on cheaper flights or something.<\/p>\n

Lastly let\u2019s look ahead to the future, finish this sentence for me, in 2020 Everclear wants to\u2026<\/strong>
\nTour the word and play to as many people as possible and come home and be able to spend as much time at home with my family as possible. That a long sentence but I\u2019m sorry that\u2019s how it is.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

UPCOMING <\/strong>EVERCLEAR 2020 AUSTRALIAN TOUR DATES<\/strong><\/p>\n

THU 30 JAN | The Cambridge Hotel |\u00a0TICKETS<\/a><\/strong>
\nFRI 31 JAN | The Metro Theatre | SYDNEY, NSW |\u00a0TICKETS<\/a>
\nSUN 2 FEB |\u00a0Odeon Theatre |\u00a0HOBART, TAS |\u00a0TICKETS<\/a>
\nTHUR\u00a006 FEB | Croxton Bandroom | THORNBURY, VIC |\u00a0TICKETS<\/a>
\nFRI 07 FEB | Pier Bandroom | FRANKSTON, VIC |\u00a0TICKETS<\/a>
\nSUN 09 FEB | The Basement\u00a0| CANBERRA, ACT |\u00a0TICKETS<\/a>
\nWED 12 FEB | The Helm | MOOLOOLABA, QLD |\u00a0TICKETS<\/a>
\nTHUR 13 FEB | Parkwood Tavern | GOLD COAST, QLD |\u00a0TICKETS<\/a>
\nFRI 14 FEB | Racehorse Hotel | IPSWICH, QLD |\u00a0TICKETS<\/a>
\nTHU 20 FEB | Freo Social | FREMANTLE, WA |\u00a0TICKETS<\/a>
\nFRI 21 FEB | The Carine Glades Tavern\u00a0| DUNCRAIG, WA |\u00a0TICKETS<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

Also appearing at the Hotter Than Hell festival:<\/strong><\/p>\n

SATURDAY FEBRUARY 1 | GEPPS CROSS – <\/strong>COOPERS ALEHOUSE
\nSATURDAY FEBRUARY 8 | MT EVELYN – <\/strong>YORK ON LILYDALE
\nSATURDAY 15 FEBRUARY | TOWNSVILLE – <\/strong>KIRWAN TAVERN
\nSATURDAY 22 FEBRUARY | DUNSBOROUGH – <\/strong>DUNSBOROUGH TAVERN<\/p>\n

Tickets here – hotterthanhelltour.com.au\/<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

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

From:<\/strong>\u00a0Portland, OR, USA<\/p>\n

Band members:\u00a0<\/strong>Art Alexakis \u2013 Lead Vocals, Guitar, Davey French \u2013 Guitar, Vox, Freddy Herrera \u2013 Bass, Vox, Brian Nolan – Drums<\/p>\n

Website:<\/strong>\u00a0www.everclearmusic.com<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

Latest release:<\/strong>\u00a0Black Is The New Black (2015 – out now)<\/p>\n

Art\u2019s solo release:<\/strong> Sun Songs (out now)<\/p>\n