*NOTE* Please remember that this interview was done in 1999, so a lot of the information in the pre-interview has changed. Enjoy! Interview below-

With two platinum albums to his credit--the platinum 1995 debut Sparkle and Fade and the double platinum So Much for the Afterglow, released in 1997--singer-songwriter-guitarist Art Alexakis has shepherded his band Everclear to critical and popular success with satisfying results. Married and living in Portland, Oregon with his wife Jenny and seven year-old daughter, Annabella Rose, Alexakis has also found personal satisfaction after many years of trouble and turmoil.

Raised by a single mother with four older siblings in a lower middle class housing project in Los Angeles, Alexakis started drinking at age eight, dropped acid at 11, and shot dope at 13, following in the footsteps of his drug-dealer brother George Paul, who died of a heroin overdose in 1974, when Alexakis was 12. Alexakis attempted suicide soon after that by jumping off a bridge into a river, and in his teens was arrested numerous times on burglary and various drug charges, spending time in Juvenile Hall and later, jail. Finally, nearly dying from a cocaine overdose in 1984 scared him straight, and he quit drugs, drinking, and smoking. While working various jobs including band road manager and driver, Alexakis studied film at UCLA and Santa Monica College, and rededicated himself to music, which had been a lifelong passion, playing in bands called Shakin’ Brave and the Easy Hoes.

In 1987, Alexakis started his own label, Shindig Records, in San Francisco and started another band called Colorfinger, which released Deep in the Heart of the Best in the Sun in 1990 via Shindig. While the label folded and the band broke up, a contact Alexakis made with A&R rep Gary Gersh would ultimately pay off for Everclear, which Alexakis formed in 1992 by advertising for musicians after moving to Portland. A demo recorded in 1993 became the band’s debut album, after Everclear was signed to Capitol by Gersh in 1994.

These days, the 37 year-old musician and entrepreneur has several projects in the works, the most recent of which was co-directing the video for Everclear’s cover of Thin Lizzy’s “The Boys Are Back in Town,” the first single release from the forthcoming soundtrack to the movie Detroit Rock City. The soundtrack, also featuring new covers by Marilyn Manson, Pantera, and The Donnas, classic originals by the likes of Van Halen, Cheap Trick, and Black Sabbath, and a new song by Kiss, who appear in concert in the film, will be out Aug. 3.

Between co-directing the video and performing (in a blond wig!) with Everclear band mates Craig Montoya and Greg Eklund, Alexakis had a full plate, but stole a little time away from the set to talk about his life and career, starting with the task at hand.

G: Were you a KISS fan?

A: Oh yeah, at 13, 14, 15. Then pretty much the Ramones, Sex Pistols, Cheap Trick, stuff like that. But I like Kiss. I’ve always had a weakness for Kiss. I love that power pop, slightly metal rock…melodic, good hooks.

G: Have you ever seen Kiss in concert?

A: Yeah, I actually saw them at the Phantom of the Park shoot. I think this is a better movie.

G: What made you want to be involved in the Detroit Rock City soundtrack?

A: I thought it was a funny movie, they showed me the movie and I liked it. And I wanted to be a part of it.

G: Was it your choice to cover "The Boys are Back in Town?"

A: Yes. They wanted me to do another song. They sent me a list.

G: And you picked from the list?

A: No, this wasn't on the list. I didn't suggest, I told them, “That's what I'll do if you want me to do it.” They wanted me to do like "American Woman,"which is a great song that we've covered before but it didn't fit like this did. It's the perfect song.

G: Do you enjoy the video-making process?

A: I like it when I have control over them. I wrote this concept. I've been co-directing most of it but if Adam [Rifkin] knows the shot he wants to get I'm letting him get it.

G: Is it particularly tough when it’s a two-day shoot?

A: Yeah, as opposed to a three or four day shoot. The budget, you know?

G: What else are you working on these days?

A: I'm going to do a solo record.

G: What musical direction will it take?

A: Pop, and an R&B influence.

G: Will there be any covers on that?

A: Yeah, "Brown Eyed Girl." I’m keeping busy. I’m starting to write songs for a new Everclear record. I’m getting over the operation I had on my vocal cords a few weeks ago. I had nodes; I had calluses, nodes, and cysts. I couldn't speak for about a week and a half. So I'm kind of raspy right now. I have a perpetual sore throat.

G: Where do you get your inspiration for your songs?

A: Everywhere.

G: Personal experience?

A: Yes, but it's not necessarily autobiographical.

G: Is it writing a catharsis for you?

A: Big time. Songs like "Father of Mine?" Pure catharsis.

G: What keeps you going through the hard times? You personally, and the band?

A: I think the fact that we all respect what everyone does. I think they respect me for my contributions to the band and I respect them for being a part of Everclear. What keeps me going personally is the fact that I have a daughter and she's such a special person. She really is a unique individual and she's growing up strong and loving and compassionate and intelligent, with a little bit of sass and a sense of humor. She's seven.

G: Does she have musical interest or aptitude?

A: More artistic. She draws.

G: You had a rough childhood, your brother committed suicide, you attempted it, and you had problems with drugs and the law. What turned it around for you?

A: I think a lot of it was ego, I felt that I belonged in a better life than I had made for myself. I'm kind of a baptism by fire kind of guy, you know, and I've got to push the envelope and I've kind of got to hit bottom. I don't think I have to do that anymore. I think now I can avoid things. I don't think that I have to learn everything for myself. I can listen to people. I think that's part of growing older, becoming more intuitive and not having to do everything over and over.

G: You've been sober for a long time now

A: It's part of my life. I just don't consider drinking again or doing dope or anything. It's just not an option. Life is so much better without it.

G: With all you've been through in your life and career, what advice would you give a young musician?

A: Leave yourself open to all sorts of music and all sorts of ideas. Question yourself. Always try to get exactly what you hear in your head. Don't be afraid to play any gig at any time and work as hard as you can. That's the way we did it.

G: What was your big break?

A: For me personally and as a musician it was having a baby. It's such a priority in my life. I've gone through a change with it. Some men don't, but I wanted to be more than a sperm donor. Any man can make a child but it takes a real man to raise a child.

G: And for the band?

A: I knew that this was my last band. That far into my thirties, I wasn't going to do that to my family. So it made me driven, it made me strive to do exactly what I want. And if I fail doing exactly what I want I could live with that.

G: How about your biggest disappointments?

A: Probably my father, not having a better relationship with him and not wanting to have a relationship with him now. Other disappointments…a failed first marriage. It's kind of hard to do that without feeling like a failure.

G: But you have a successful second one, right?

A: So far so good. My accomplishments have been being a father, working hard. One of my greatest accomplishments is that I've taught myself discipline and ethics, which is something I didn't necessarily grow up with. I got ethics from my mom but I didn't get discipline. Learning discipline as an adult is way harder. Better late than never. But better early than late.

G: As you know, music isn't created in a vacuum--once you want to sell it, you have to deal with the business aspect.

A: Once you walk out of the garage you've sold out.

G: So how do you deal with all the people who want to make money off you?

A: You have to look out for yourself. As in any business, you have to realize that the other guy can enjoy what you do but wants to make a profit as well. It's a matter of respecting that and respecting that everybody can come to some sort of agreement. I think anything can be negotiated. I think there's a happy medium everywhere. Sometimes you have to say, "This is the way it is, I'm going to do this." Sometimes you have the juice to do that and sometimes you don't.

G: The more success you have the more power and leverage you have.

A: Of course. It's that way in everything, in relationships, business, sexual, personal, friendships, everywhere. The thing is, you can’t misuse it. You can't abuse that power.

G: What do you think about MP3 technology?

A: I think MP3 is gonna be a really important thing and is starting to be already! I think it needs to be accountable. Giving music to people without representation, i.e. without them getting paid, is wrong. If I've created something that people want, they should be willing to pay a fair price for it. I think there are ways to do that.

G: Will you make any music available in that format? A

: I'm not yet but I plan to.

G: With your solo work?

A: I don't know, that's up to Capitol. I'm signed to Capitol as far as my solo work. As far as my record label goes....

G: How’s that going? Are you signing bands?

A: Yes. But I can't name them.

G: Will you be producing these acts?

A: Two of them.

G: Are you looking for more? And how can bands approach you?

A: Yes. Give me a CD. If I think it's great I want to get involved in it. I have a P.O. Box until my office is set up in August. Send it to Popularity Records c/o Art Alexakis, P.O. Box 15055, Portland, Oregon 97215.

G: What do you look for in an artist?

A: Originality, a great voice, intelligent songs. Be as unique as you can be, have your own flavor.

G: Do you look for a particular genre or style?

A: No. I don't care what it is.

G: Is this going to be taking up a lot of your time over the next few years?

A: Well, yeah. I'd like to segue from this into writing and directing and producing films.

G: Anything in the works along those lines?

A: Yeah, but I can't talk about it. It's in litigation.

G: So you have a lot of irons in the fire right now.

A: I always have.

G: What are you proudest of in your career so far?

A: I'm proud of what we’ve accomplished. We really have not been a hot band of the minute; we haven't been hip and trendy like Beck, never gotten a lot of press like Marilyn Manson. But I think it's a recipe for longevity. Look at Tom Petty. Critics who were bashing him 20 years ago love him now.

G: What do you think the most important factor is in sustaining a career, and having longevity?

A: Knowing what to do, knowing your limitations, and striving to work within them. I want to write songs that I--and the band--think are cool and hopefully other people will think they're cool, too.

G: What do you think of the current trends in music? Where do you see things going in the future?

A: I think rock's coming back with a vengeance. I think people are hungry for rock & roll, especially hard rock & roll and that's great because that's exactly what we want to do. Everclear's next record is gonna rock.

G: Are you placing any significance on the coming of the new millennium?

A: Nah, it's just another year.

G: How will you usher it in?

A: Be away from a lot of people. I've got a cabin out in the woods and we'll probably go skiing that weekend.