FORMED: 1992, Portland, OR
The rise of Everclear might appear to be meteoric, but, in fact, the band's success was a long time coming for its frontman, Art Alexakis. The product of a broken home, Alexakis overcame near-crippling personal difficulties to emerge as one of modern pop rock's most formidable songwriters. Indeed, one could argue that Alexakis' personal struggles not only forged his drive to succeed, but also shaped his lyrical themes. In that respect, the often-cited comparisons between Everclear and Nirvana aren't terribly far off the mark.
Everclear's beginnings can be traced to Santa Monica, Calif., where Alexakis was born on April 12, 1962. Following his parents' divorce, which occurred when he was 5 years old, Alexakis went to live with his mother and his older brother in one of the city's housing projects. In 1974, tragedy struck the Alexakis family when Art's older brother, George Paul, died of a heroin overdose. Devastated, the 12-year-old Alexakis fell in with a bad crowd, and, by the time he reached adolescence, his life was centered on cocaine, speed, and heroin abuse. Later, the words spoken by an investigating police officer in his brother's death — "just another overdose" — would find their way into Everclear's single "Heroin Girl."
Fortunately, Alexakis also sought solace in music, and, during his late teens, he bought his first electric guitar. His substance abuse continued to escalate, however, and, in 1984, his cocaine habit culminated in a near-fatal overdose. Badly shaken, the 22-year-old Alexakis swore off drugs and alcohol completely, and, for the next three years, he devoted himself to putting his life in order. To that end, he enrolled first in Santa Monica College, then in U.C.L.A., where he studied film and journalism. He also wrote for a number of rock publications (most notably a small Santa Monica daily called The Evening Outlook) and played guitar in a variety of local bands.
Alexakis also got married, albeit briefly, around this time, and he and his wife moved to San Francisco in 1987. There, he established the tiny label Shindig Records, with the idea of specializing in bands that played alternative country. He also started his own group, Colorfinger, which released a full-length album titled Deep in the Heart of the Beast in the Sun. In a bold move, Alexakis sent the album to (then) Geffen A&R representative Gary Gersh — although Gersh declined to sign Colorfinger, he was impressed enough with Alexakis's songwriting to ask that Alexakis continue sending him new material. Little did either man know that, in due time, their relationship would blossom professionally.
Meanwhile, Rough Trade, the distributor for Shindig Records, went out of business, and in quick succession, Shindig Records filed for bankruptcy, Colorfinger broke up, and Alexakis's marriage ended in divorce. In 1991, determined to start anew, Alexakis moved from San Francisco to Portland, Ore., with his girlfriend, who was expecting the couple's first child. They soon married, and, after placing an ad for musicians in the Seattle music paper The Rocket, Alexakis teamed up with bassist Craig Montoya (formerly of the Spokane-based band Soul Hammer) and drummer Scott Cuthbert. Taking its name from a brand of liquor, the trio dubbed itself Everclear, and, in 1992, the band recorded its first album, World of Noise, at a cost of approximately $400.
Released on indie label Tim/Kerr Records in 1993, World of Noise generated a considerable buzz for Everclear. As major label interest intensified, Cuthbert was dismissed from the band and replaced by Oregon native Greg Ekland. Following an intense period of courtship, in the summer of 1994, the group signed with Capitol Records, which, by then, was headed by the aforementioned Gary Gersh. In a concession rarely granted a newly signed band, the company gave Everclear complete creative control over its career.
In May of 1995, Everclear released its major label debut, Sparkle and Fade. The first single from the album, "Heroin Girl," generated impressive sales, but it was the release of the MTV favorite "Santa Monica" that caused the band's popularity to explode. Sparkle and Fade eventually sold 1.5 million copies, and critics hailed Alexakis as a brilliant new songwriter. In the press, much attention was devoted to Alexakis's lyrics, which dealt with such seemingly personal topics as drug use, suicide, and sexual antagonism. The success of the album prompted Capitol to reissue World of Noise later that same year.
Impressive as Sparkle and Fade was, its follow-up, So Much for the Afterglow, fared even better. Released in October of 1997, the album spawned a string of hits that included "I Will Buy You a New Life," "Everything to Everyone," and "Father of Mine." Once again, critics lavished praise on Alexakis's skills as a composer, and, in the end, Afterglow sold more than 2.1 million copies. Based on the band's album and singles successes, Billboard named Everclear 1998's "Modern Artist of the Year."
Given Everclear's burgeoning following, one might have expected Alexakis to capitalize quickly with a new album by the band. Instead, following the requisite tour in support of Afterglow, the songwriter retreated to his home and began work on a solo project. Originally conceived as an acoustic-oriented affair, the album took on a different flavor when Alexakis invited his two Everclear bandmates to play on two tracks. Eventually, the idea for a solo effort was scrapped, and, in the spring of 2000, Everclear began work on material for two full-length CDs. A collection of the "softer" songs, titled Songs From an American Movie, Vol. 1 — Learning How to Smile, was released in July 2000, with plans to release the more rock-oriented Songs From an American Movie, Vol.2 — Good Time for a Bad Attitude before the end of the year.
Meanwhile, as he continues his work with Everclear, Alexakis has also turned his attentions to matters peripheral to the band. In the wake of his recent divorce, Alexakis testified before Congress in support of legislation that would empower the IRS to collect child support payments from deadbeat fathers. He also started his own record label, Popularity Records, which will be distributed through Artemis Records. And if that isn't enough, in 1999, Alexakis made his acting debut — as a junkie — in the film Committed.
— Russell Hall
