(April 2008) PCM's Kristyn spent an afternoon chatting with Art Alexakis, frontman of the band Everclear! Their newest album "The Vegas Years" is in stores now! Read on to find out more about the new album and just why name-bearing tattoos can be a bad idea...

Kristyn: Hi, Art. This is Kristyn from PopCultureMadness. How are you?

Art: I'm good, how are you doing, Kristyn?

K: Not bad

A: Where are you calling from?

K: I am in Delaware

A: Beautiful! Delaware

K: Have you been here before?

A: Are you kidding me (laughs) I will rock some Chesapeake Bay crabs, don't even think I won't!

K: (laughs) Okay

A: I have been through there, I was in Baltimore over the weekend, and they are not in season yet, I was really upset about that

K: Yeah, I would have been too, what's up with that? (laughs)

A: I don't know, I am bummed out (laughs) Where in Delaware are you?

K: Wilmington

A: Oh, you are in the big city

K: Sort of (laughs) we are pretty close to Philadelphia

A: So, do you guys kind of look at Philadelphia as the local place.

K: Yeah, pretty much

A: Not a whole lot of bands come to Wilmington, I imagine

K: Not anymore, they took away every concert venue there was

A: Oh, that was a good idea (sarcastically)

K: At least we still have the beach! So, you have been through so much over the years I almost don't even know where to begin with the interview, but I have to say I have been a fan for years.

A: Well, thank you very much!

K: So, how did you first come up with the idea to release an album of cover songs? (The Vegas Years)

A: I have wanted to do this for a long time, we've done a lot of covers, I love doing covers when we go in to do B-sides, and we have a lot of covers. We just got a collection of covers; they have been on a few releases, but never a major release. They have usually been on B-sides, or a single in Germany or Japan. I have always wanted to put together a collection of the cover songs, and I always thought "The Vegas Years" would be a great name for that because the Vegas Years is kind of poking fun at us, like when a band is past it's prime they'll end up in Vegas, and they'll become cover playing charactritures of themselves.

K: As a lounge singer maybe? (laughs)

A: (laughs) Yeah, you know or when you differentiate the young cool albums with the laid back Vegas albums. It is like two different animals. I just thought it was cool to say that, and I wanted to pay homage to, if you look at the album cover, to the whole rat pack type of Vegas, when Vegas was cool and simple and nasty and dirty.

K: How has the fan reaction been to the cover songs?

A: Those who have heard it so far have been unanimous with being super excited about it. A lot of the older people know the original covers and the originals of these songs, and a lot of the younger people to them, they don't know the originals, so hopefully it will make them go backwards through I-Tunes and the internet and find a lot of these originals and learn to appreciate all this great work of music that is out there they might not know about.

K: Definitely. What would you say is your favorite track off "The Vegas Years"?

A: I really like "Rich Girl" and I really like "Our Lips are Sealed", and the Cheap Trick cover song "Southern Girls", but I would have to say my closet favorite is probably "Bad Connection". I really like our take on that one. To me a great song is a great song, you can do it with a kazoo or a harpsichord, and it is still going to sound like a great song. It is going to have great melodies and great hooks. I always thought that song was a great song even though I didn't like synth-bands, but I had a friend of mine back in the day turn me on to that record and I was always drawn to that song and I would play it over and over again.

K: I think you guys did an awesome job with the covers; I think "American Girl" was great, but I am biased being a huge Tom Petty fan.

A: That was actually the third song Everclear recorded after signing to Capitol. We took about four hours out of the day while on the road in Richmond, VA and just knocked it out.

K: Is there going to be another CD with new material due out sometime this year?

A: Not right away, but I am still going to record an album later in the year. I am going to start releasing downloadable singles for song, because I think people really want that, and I feel we are moving back toward the direction of a singles format. I think albums are so expensive, I think it is just so much better to be able to download a song.

K: That is definitely the way things seem to be going now, with the internet age, and people wanting things immediately.

A: Yeah, It is just like "I want this!" Boom! You got it! All you have to do is push a button.

K: Exactly

A: It is kind of science fiction when you think about it

K: Almost! You have certainly been through line-up changes and personal obstacles over the years, yet Everclear seems to still be going strong. What made you want to keep pursuing with the band?

A: I just felt like the band wasn't done. When the other guys left the band, it was a mutual thing, I wanted to tour and they wanted to leave, so that was as amicable as a break-up can be, but I always intended to either do a solo record or do more Everclear, but when I met these guys and we started playing together it felt like Everclear, everything sounded new and fresh to me.

K: How would you feel your sound differs now, than from that of previous albums such as "Sparkle and Fade" or "So Much For The Afterglow"?

A: I think a lot of things that were exciting to me then are still exciting for me now. I am fifteen years older, and I have opened myself up to a lot more things old and new. I think it just influences you, whether you are a person who loves music or a person who makes music, you evolve as you get older; at least I hope you do. I always like bands who evolve, whose sounds becomes more definite from record to record, but what that sound is, is more open to different pallets and different shades and different sounds. I think that is the true strength of a band, to be able to evolve while still maintaining that sense of themselves.

K: Who would you say are some of your main musical influences? Which bands are you a fan of these days?

A: New bands? I can't say I am influences by any new bands, but I tend to be drawn toward the singer/songwriters. I have always like Jack Johnson, Ben Harper, and stuff like that. As far as new rock bands go, there is really no one out there that is really exciting me to be honest with you. It sounds like stuff I have heard before and not really an original take on it. I think that might have a lot to do with what is going on with songs that may get played on the radio, but they are not really reacting with people. I just heard a new band the other day called The Flobots, they sound a lot like Cake to me, I am not sure if anyone else has made that connection or not, but I really like that single I heard…I would like to hear their record. I think I will search it out later today (laughs)

K: Check for it on MySpace! Speaking of Myspace, how do you feel about the site as a way to connect with fans? Do you maintain your own page?

A: Yeah, I am the only guy on our page. If you go to www.myspace.com/everclear, that is our official page and I am the guy you get! If you leave a message or a comment I read it, I will either approve it or not approve it.

K: You must get a lot of fan mail coming in

A: I get about two hundred a day, it is a lot

K: Definitely

A: I don't answer them all, you know people who write in with "What's up?" and that it! (laughs) I don't answer that.

K: (laughs)

A: If you have a specific question or you are telling me a story that connects with me and I have the time, I will answer back. I answer anywhere between three and five a day.

K: That is pretty good; some bands won't answer any at all.

A: Yeah, I know a lot of bands who never go on their MySpace pages, not even bigger bands or bands our size and I think they are really missing the opportunities to really connect with the people who listen to their music and find out what they are all about.

K: I agree! So, have you had any crazy fan experiences over the years?

A: I have had quite a few of them actually; we have been around a long time. One that really sticks out in my mind was when we were playing in Chicago, and "Santa Monica" was the big hit, this guy comes up to us and rolls up his sleeve and shows us the inside of his arm, the whole inside of his arm was a big Everclear tattoo. I was like, "Man, what if you don't like our next record?" (laughs)

K: (laughs)

A: He said "I will!", but I know like 20 or 30 other people that got Everclear tattoos on various body parts.

K: Well, they are definitely fans for life, man! (laughs)

A: (laughs) Yes, yes they are! I put my ex-wife's name behind my ear and got a tattooed wedding ring, and we have been divorced for almost four years now and don't like each other very much, so the tattoos were not a very good idea and I knew that at the time. She has my name tattooed on the back of her neck so that was an even worse idea (laughs)

K: (laughs) You know that is funny because I have actually been considering the tattooed wedding rings idea.

A: Well, it is very romantic and a lovely idea, but I don't recommend it because if you ever want to get it removed, it is the most painful thing in the world. Do you have any tattoos?

K: Yeah, I do

A: So, tattoos don't feel good when you get them

K: Not particularly

A: No, not so much! But getting them removed is ten times worse!

K: Don't tell me that! (laughs)

A: I am telling you that! (laughs) They burn it off with a laser; they actually cook your skin.

K: Oh, god! No more….

A: It puffs up like a pastry and it f**king hurts!

K: So, I am guessing you have endured this experience?

A: Yeah, yeah! I recommend not getting anyone's name tattooed on you, I mean if it is your kid or your parents, or even your best friend, well your best friend is kind of dubious because you best friend could be sleeping with your boyfriend some day, you never know (laughs)

K: (laughs)

A: You kid will always be your kid and your parents will always be your parents, I have Annabelle's name, and I have a new baby named Arizona who is five months old and I am about to put her name on me in the next couple of weeks. That's going to happen, but boyfriends/girlfriends, wives/husbands, significant others Art is not a fan (laughs)

K: (laughs) I think my fiancée and I may re-think that one now!

A: Man, you know it is romantic as hell, I definitely get it, I think it is a beautiful gesture, but it might be a gesture that you rethink later, people change and people grow. If anything if you do that you have to really think about it, relationships are things that you really have to work on hard.

K: Definitely!

A: It isn't like the first six months where everything is perfect, and you think it is cute that they spill food all over themselves; it is not that cute further down the line. Six months of sex five times a day, and guys think "Wow, this is awesome!" and then it changes and you are like "What happened?"

K: Yeah, it is like "I have a headache, now…forget it!" (laughs)

A: You get to a point where you can say no, and you know that they are not going to not call you anymore because they live with you.

K: Pretty much

A: It is one of those things

K: Well, we certainly jumped way off topic here (laughs)

A: I am a rambler, what can I say? (laughs)

K: It is all good! So, can you tell our readers a bit about your writing process? What generally comes first the hook, melody, lyrics…etc? A lot of your songs seem to touch on very personal topics, was a sly sense of humor thrown in and how have personal obstacles helped your song writing?

A: That is just a part of my life. I write about it honestly with a sense of humor. It is not all about my life, I mean very few songs on the early records are autobiographical. Some obviously are such as "Father of Mine", but "Wonderful" has been a variety of different things and different perspectives, it is not just about my daughter or about me or my friends or my friends' daughter, and it is about all of us. It is about tying into that emotion from a kid's point of view and watching your life get up-ended. Even today, it is hard sometimes to say it, to see that look on my kids face when I told her that her mother and I were getting divorced. It is that feeling inside when my mom and dad got divorced, it is a hard thing.

K: Oh yeah, I can agree.

A: I mean, I don't know if you come from a broken home

K: I do

A: Most people do, I don't meet too many people over the age of twenty-five whose parents are still together. When you meet someone like that you are like "Wow"

K: I know

A: The divorce rate is climbing, people don't like to talk about it, but it's over fifty percent.

K: You are absolutely right; when you talk to someone you look at them like they have two heads, when they say the come from the cookie-cutter family unit.

A: Yeah, I really respect it, man! People that have been together for twenty years, I am like "You guys are my heroes!"

K: Yeah, I mean you get engaged and you don't want to think about that type of stuff, but it is a sad reality

A: Absolutely and I think everybody is looking for that thing, everybody wants to be happy, everybody wants the fairytale till you realize that the fairy tale doesn't exist. To have a real relationship it takes a lot of work and communication, not just with your partner, but with yourself. My last record is about a lot of that journey that went on after my last divorce. It is like okay man, I have been married and divorced three times, I am doing something wrong, I have to figure this out, you know?

K: Well you seem to be on the right track. Where do you see the future of music heading and where do you see Everclear in that picture?

A: I have no idea where music is heading. As far as Everclear goes, I am writing new songs and we have our new single that is going to be downloadable that we are going to put out on our websites and stuff. It is called "Jesus, Was A Liberal"

K: Okay

A: Yeah, we'll see how that goes over! I think our music is still connected a lot to how it used to sound, but it keeps growing. I keep doing new things with it and it sounds like a natural evolution to me not like a conscious thing of trying to sound different. There are still things I like about "Sparkle and Fade" and I think some of those elements are still there. I still like big guitars. I still like heavy music with a melodic sense. I like personal lyrics that connect with audiences because that is what connects with me. If someone can write a song and I can visualize what is going on and it tells a story, I'm a fan.

K: What would you say is your favorite aspect of playing a live show? What are some of your favorite songs to play live?

A: I always like playing "Heroin Girl", I like seeing how excited people get when we play the hits.

K: That is one of my favorites!

A: "Wonderful" and of course "Santa Monica' are two others. I also love playing new songs and I guess my favorite song to play live is a song called "Summerland" that was on "Sparkle and Fade"

K: I love that song!

A: Yeah, that is a great song. It builds really nice and it gets really passionate.

K: That is definitely one of my favorite albums

A: Thank you very much

K: You are planning on touring this summer, correct?

A: Yeah, we are working on a package right now. I keep getting calls from my agent that I hope are positive because there are two other bands that you've heard of, but I can't say their names right now because it's not locked down. I think it is going to be a great value.

K: Well, you're in Philadelphia I would certainly love to come out and see a show. We should be at the WMMR BBQ radio festival coming soon.

A: Yeah, we are playing with Stone Temple Pilots.

K: Can you share with our site readers some of the reasons behind some of the cover song choices for "The Vegas Years"? What made you choose those songs over others?

A: They are just some of my favorite songs. They are songs where I felt that I really liked the song, and I thought we could cover it and bring something of ourselves to the song. I am not saying that the original wasn't great, but that we could interpret it; they were songs that were good for interpretation. It goes across the board, you have a pretty wide pallet to pick from with The Go-Go's to Woody Guthrie to TV themes like "Land of the Lost" or "Speed racer" and there are a couple live versions thrown in there because we do "Jenny 867-5309" the Tommy Tutone song every night as the show closer and we pull girls up on stage with the band. People just really love it, it is great entertainment.

K: Certainly. It is a fun song. Are there any strong personal connections to any songs in particular?

A: I think all of them connected with me and resonated enough with me that I wanted to interpret them. A lot of them are just pure entertainment and I think there is nothing wrong with just pure entertainment. "The Boys are Back in Town" is just a great rock song.

K: I agree

A: It is a great summer rock song, and I think we do a good version of it

K: You certainly do

A: So, that's on the record.

K: Is there any final message or comment you would like to add to share with our site readers?

A: I hope people check out the record. Be sure to check us out on MySpace and our Official Site!

K: Thank you so much for speaking with today, Art! It has been a pleasure

A: My pleasure, thanks for calling me

K: No problem…take care

A: You too, bye.