TW: Mental health, suicide
Art Alexakis wasn’t planning to release another album, but the current state of politics may have changed his mind.
Alexakis is the founder, lead songwriter, vocalist and guitarist for the band Everclear, coming to The Foundry in Waynesboro for one show on May 2. The sold-out Everclear concert is expected to be one of the largest to date at the venue since its opening two years ago.
Alexakis is no stranger to writing lyrics that address political and social issues, and today’s charged political environment has pushed him to compose new material.
“It’s just a shitshow, no question. I don’t know how else to put it,” Alexakis told AFP in an interview this week. “Wait to you hear the new record coming out next year. I wasn’t planning on making another record, to be honest with you.”
The new album, he said, will feature a more punk rock, heavier version of a song he previously released, “White People Scare Me,” and an update to a song he wrote a long time ago called “Jesus was a Democrat.”
The rest of the album, he’s not ready to talk about just yet, but Alexakis said it’s going to address both “real stuff” and society as a whole.
“I think people are paying attention to what’s going on now, and I think it’s going to make a change, that when this does change, it won’t happen again,” Alexakis said.
Known for his advocacy for gay rights and drug abuse awareness, he believes that even though things seem “dark” right now and individual liberties are in jeopardy, we as Americans are more alike than different.
“Politically, I think it’s everybody’s job and responsibility as a human being, and especially as an American … to be aware and to vote. We do all sorts of things: we work, we play, we raise kids, we’re angry, we’re funny, we’re sexual, we’re all these different things, but one thing we do like other people, we vote,” he said.
“I look at it as it’s just a part of life. You do it, you stay aware, you make your own decisions as best as you can, and you act accordingly, regardless of your life. You don’t have to be an activist. You don’t have to get out there with a sign, but that doesn’t hurt if you want to fill that need, but you do have to vote what you believe in.
“And you have to back it up with action. Sometimes it’s just writing a check, you know, and sometimes it’s showing up in one way or another.”
Writing what you know
In the ’90s, Everclear’s music predominantly played on alternative channels, but hit songs including “Santa Monica,” “Father of Mine” and “I Will Buy You a New Life” brought the group mainstream success.
To date, Everclear has sold more than 6 million records with 12 Top 40 singles.
Alexakis, the only original member of Everclear still in the group, grew up listening to The Beatles, Jimmy Hendrix, Bob Dylan and The Rolling Stones before turning to hard rock, punk rock, hip hop and alternative music.
“I never was interested in people writing about rock and roll that didn’t have a message to it,” he said.
Songwriters are generally successful when they draw from experience, and Alexakis’ life certainly gives him a lot of material for inspiration: abandoned by his father and forced to live in the projects, tough times led him to a near-fatal cocaine overdose and a suicide attempt before he turned things around.
His lyrics help him remember his past, and sometimes, when he’s lucky, the themes resonate with other people too.
“I think it’s real important to not forget where you came from, and to appreciate it, embrace it, respect it,” he said. “We’re all human. We all make mistakes, and we get into a way of thinking that’s not right.”
There were a couple of times, he admits, that he felt hopeless, but “it didn’t last long” and he’s grateful that he’s never given up.
“I’ve always, through that my music, even though it seems dark and kind of depressing, always has a light at the end of the tunnel. I always felt like there’s a light at the end of the tunnel regardless of what I was going through.”
The growing resurgence of ’90s bands
Last fall, the band released “Live at the Whisky a Go Go,” a celebration of the band’s catalog of music spanning three decades, with live versions of signature songs along with two new tracks, “Year of the Tiger” and “Sing Away.”
The album was recorded at the iconic Whisky A Go Go on the Sunset Strip in December 2022 and was released in 2024 by Sunset Blvd Records.
While The Foundry can’t compete with the historic nature of the West Hollywood live venue on the album, it is the perfect size for an Everclear concert today. Most venues that book Everclear have a capacity between 800 and 2,000 people. The May 2 show in Waynesboro will also feature 14lbs, an alternative rock band from Staunton.
In addition to The Foundry, Everclear’s tour this year takes them everywhere from the Boathouse Waterway Bar & Grill in Myrtle Beach, S.C., to the STRAT Theater in Las Vegas.
Everclear’s Sparkle and Fade 30th Anniversary Tour will kick off in Los Angeles in the fall and includes Local H and Sponge, in shows booked Sept. 4 through Nov. 2.
Alexakis is going through old tapes and music to find rare tracks to put on the record that will be released before the start of the anniversary tour, he told AFP.
Whether it’s nostalgia or something else, ’90s bands are finding success touring across the country.
“We’ve been selling out more and more shows, and a large part of our audience is, I’d say late teens through early 30s. A lot of these kids weren’t even born when these songs were getting played on the radio, but they know the songs, and it’s pretty awesome to see.”
Live shows are the best medicine
Alexakis is grateful to have the opportunity to share rock and roll music with both old and new fans of Everclear, though he admits that performing now presents new challenges, and not necessarily due to age. He turns 63 on Saturday.
After a relatively minor car accident in 2016, Alexakis was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, something he had likely been battling for more than 20 years.
Today, to combat the disease and its impact on his body, you’ll find him taking a nap (or two) before shows to deal with fatigue, as well as stretching, working out, swimming and eating healthy.
“Travel is the hard part: flying out, walking through airports … dealing with the pain and fatigue in the body, tremors and the balance issues and muscle weakness on one side because of the MS, that’s what I deal with every day.”
Performing before a live audience makes all the pain and prep worth it, proving doing what you love may be the best medicine.
“But that hour and 15 minutes or hour and a half every night, it all goes away.”
If you or someone you know needs support now, call or text 988 or chat at 988lifeline.org
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Crystal Graham
