In 1995, Everclear defined alternative rock. The group’s magnum opus, “Santa Monica,” was all over the airwaves with its raspy vocals, chucka-chucka strums, screechy riffs and propulsive rhythm. It was a three minute, 11 second cathartic attack – simple, angry, perfect.
But that was 11 years ago. Five albums and a Behind the Music later, the question that lingers is not where are they now, but rather, does anyone still care?
Everclear singer Art Alexakis hopes so.
“It’s a study in humility at times, but it’s also really gratifying,” Alexakis says. “A lot of people are judging us based on what we are doing now … and there are a lot of people whose perception is, ‘Oh, you’re the band I listened to in seventh grade. I don’t want to hear what you’re doing now.'”
On the 2006 release of Welcome to the Drama Club, Alexakis is heading a much different Everclear than the one from the mid-’90s.
In 2004, bandmates Craig Montoya and Greg Ekland left to pursue other projects (Montoya to Tri-Polar, Ekland to the Oohlas), and four new members took their places. For Alexakis, the transition was crucial.
“This feels like the band for the first time,” he says. “This is the Everclear I always wanted it to be. I always wanted it to be my thing where I had control but I had people who gave me ideas … where we could all put things in the pot and make it a better thing.”
Change was necessary. The band earned a Grammy nomination for a song on the ’97 album So Much for the Afterglow and charted its biggest single to date, “Wonderful,” off Songs from an American Movie, Vol. 1: Learning How to Smile (2000), but the band’s popularity faltered during successive releases. The group left Capital Records for Eleven Seven Music, and Drama Club was its first independent release since 1993.
Alexakis doesn’t question his past decisions but wants to make up lost ground.
“I think this is the record that should have followed Volume 1,” he says. “The last record, Slow Motion Daydream … it was too processed for me. I produced it, but I was trying to fit what I thought the record label wanted.”
On Drama Club, Everclear’s sound is swallowed by the shrunken modern rock gene pool. The group meshes ear-friendly pop with rock and fills holes with crunchy guitars and drum-laden crescendos. Its backbone is Alexakis’ heart-on-a-platter lyrics, “written by a guy who’s lived a lot of life since [our earlier] records,” he says.
In an ironic twist, Alexakis’ up-and-down personal life – a third divorce and bankruptcy filing – works in his musical favor. It actually makes people care.
“People love a sad song that they don’t have to sing, you know? People love to look at car wrecks as they go by,” he says.
The numbers say differently. While Drama Club debuted at No. 11 on Billboard’s Top Independent Albums, it was No. 169 on the Billboard 200. However, Alexakis says the group has received a warm reaction from crowds on the college tour.
“I didn’t expect to be selling as many tickets … to be honest. We’ve been pretty much three-quarters to full capacity every night,” he says.
It’s been a long time since Everclear first tasted success with “Santa Monica,” but the memories don’t fade.
“Friends were calling me from all over the country going, ‘Man, I can’t get away from your f—ing song. It’s everywhere,” Alexakis says.
But for Alexakis, even with the renewed challenge of winning over fans, he doesn’t want to disappoint his biggest critic – himself.
“It’s weird working hard at something for so long and finally getting the payoff, and when you get that payoff you realize that’s not what you really wanted after all. It’s just making a cool record.”
Everclear performs tonight at Santa Fe Café with Johnny Lives and Big City Rock. Doors open at 7 p.m. Tickets start at $27.
