VH1 Interview with Art Alexakis
Some people are happy just to be nominated. Everclear's Art Alexakis is happy just to be ... period. "Yeah, I didn't necessarily think I'd make it this far," says the bandleader of the longevity he's enjoyed since shaking a nasty drug habit nearly 20 years ago.
Alexakis has never believed in simple answers. When last we heard from him, he was looking inwards to survey American pop culture with his ambitious two-CD set Songs from an American Movie. For its follow-up, the self-described "cranky f*ck" sets his sights on the world outside his door. Everclear's Slow Motion Daydream is a collection of songs about misfits trying to enter the world of middle age while remembering their halcyon youth.
The disc's lead track is called "Volvo Driving Soccer Mom," and it's got a wild side. Alexakis isn't thinking of any one person in his depiction of a former menage a trois-ing high school stripper - it could be anyone. The song's all about accepting who you are and living in the moment, he says. Case in point: after breaking through in the post-grunge era with power poppy hits like "Santa Monica" and "Heroin Girl" from 1995's Sparkle and Fade, Alexakis and band mates Craig Montoya (bass) and Greg Eklund (drums) have gone from alternative darlings to adult contemporary survivors. That's just fine with the songwriter. He'd rather know what he knows now and be alive, than be the reckless kid who thinks he knows everything and be dead.
"It's a beautiful day," Alexakis sings on the album's first track. With the shiny, happy production enhancing the well-polished pop rock, it's a sentiment that's hard to counter. Alexakis spoke with VH1 about how he's survived so long in the music game, why he loves Avril Lavigne, and why he treasures the other thing that happened the night he met his idol, Bruce Springsteen.
VH1: You sing about the American dream on this album, what's your American dream?
Art Alexakis: All of our albums are about the American dream from different perspectives. The last couple of records were more lyrically introverted and introspective. I was writing about personal relationships. The characters on this album are dealing with the world around them and reacting to that. I just read a review that said I'm cranky. I guess it's well founded.
VH1: The rock 'n' roll axiom used to be "live fast, die young, leave a beautiful corpse." The new album amends it "I Want to Die a Beautiful Death."
Alexakis: Every person goes through a period like that - where you're nihilistic, and you say "F*ck it all, I want to get laid, I want to get high. I can't change the way the system is." I don't live like that, but I can tap into it because that is a part of me. As I get older, those different kids I've been in my life, at six, fifteen, twenty-five, are still inside of me. They're just filtered through what I know to be real now.
VH1: Do you know some of the "Volvo Driving Soccer Moms" you talk about?
Alexakis: That song's about defining yourself and other people defining you. You can define yourself in any way, shape or form. That's the American dream to me. You can be a slut, male or female, and still be a good dad and still grow up to be anything you want.
VH1: How's it feel to be your age doing this?
Alexakis: I'm old, but I'm wiry! I didn't think that I'd be doing this at this age. At 20? 25? Yeah. When I got sober in my early 20s, I started looking at life as it came at me and letting myself and others around me define their lives as they saw fit, even if didn't fit into my narrow box of what was right and wrong. There's still a box there, but I can't see the sides sometimes.
VH1: What do you make of shows like "American Idol" and the new "Star Search?" Is that any way to create music stars?
Alexakis: No. I don't know about stars, but I don't think you'll get viable music there. Watching those shows depresses me, but it is good entertainment. My daughter likes to watch those shows, but if it gets racy, I'll say, "Go down and listen to your Avril Lavigne CD."
VH1: So you encourage her to listen to Avril? You approve of that disc, Mr. punk rock?
Alexakis: I think it's great music for 10-15-year-olds. I can appreciate it. The lyrics are really connecting with kids. My daughter will listen to Avril and the Beatles, but she was never into Britney and Christina. I bought her those CD's and she said, "I like Christina's voice, but I don't like Britney." I just thought, "Man, I'm so glad you're my kid!"
VH1: Is there a movement in music lately that you just don't get?
Alexakis: The cookie monster bands and the nu-metal. I like the Deftones - they're an exception. But for the most part, those bands didn't connect with me. I'm into songs and melodies.
VH1: Who are your musical heroes? Have you met them?
Alexakis: Yeah. Probably my biggest is Springsteen. I met him in the lobby of the Waldorf Astoria during rehearsals for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, where he was inducted and I was inducting Del Shannon. I was very nervous. I met a beautiful girl and held hands and watched movies and stayed up all night with her right after meeting Bruce. And I'm still married to her now. Bruce told me he was a fan and liked my songwriting and voice. I thought, "This is weird, man, Bruce Springsteen likes my songs? How many times have I listened to his albums?" I've also met Robert Plant, Steven Tyler and Joe Perry, and Randy Newman.
VH1: What do you think about what happened at the Great White show? Are you surprised?
Alexakis: I've been in bands long enough to have a strong feeling that those guys didn't have approval to use that stuff. Usually the word to most bands, and it's true of girls, too, "If you don't ask, they can't tell you no."
VH1: Ever had something scary happen at one of your shows?
Alexakis: We've almost collapsed a few stages. We bring people on stage to dance a lot, and a few times the bouncers have decided to pull every girl with implants up on stage and I think that silicone can be very heavy.
VH1: What punk hero of yours has aged the most gracefully?
Alexakis: I thought Joey Ramone, until his death, was probably the most graceful person I'd ever run into. He was what he was, and never tried to change.
VH1: What are your thoughts about the situation with Iraq? Would you ever actively protest?
Alexakis: I think it's blood for oil. I went to the protest in Portland and we had 10,000 people. I think it's a stupid war and I think it will backfire against Bush. The one good thing is he's really pissing people off to the point where I wouldn't be surprised if some third party candidates did well in the next election.
VH1: What's the strangest place your music has ever taken you?
Alexakis: We were at an awards show in Las Vegas and I was sitting right behind Nelly and in front of some TV starlet in extremely tight clothes and we walked on stage to play a song and we were introduced by NSYNC. I looked at Craig and he's like, "What's going on?"
VH1: If you had to be on one reality show, what would it be?
Alexakis: You ever watch Elimidate or Blind Date?' I watch it with my wife every night and it makes us laugh and cringe. It makes us so happy that we have each other. It's so wonderful to know that we're not out there with the rest of those freaks.
VH1: You were raised in poverty, and one can assume you have a few bucks now. What is your greatest indulgence?
Alexakis: DVD's. I own a couple thousand.
VH1:What's the most rock star thing you've ever done?
Alexakis: I don't really see myself as a rock star and I don't act like that. I'm an arrogant cranky motherf*cker and I always have been. I'm the same as I was before Everclear. I did spend a lot of money on my wedding and it was my third marriage. We spent hundreds of thousands of dollars. We hired every limo, town car and van in town to take guests to the winery where the reception was. We flew up a few bands. And I did it with my wife in the bus on the way ...
VH1: Whoa! Too much information, Art!
Alexakis: You asked.
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