Due to conflicts with lead singer Art Alexakis, Craig left Everclear in 2003 to pursue his own music career. Craig claimed that he was simply unhappy with the direction of the trio's music, and what resulted in the end damaged him personally. He once stated that he wanted to front his own band for a while (some data has been traced back to the World of Noise era, perhaps before Everclear was signed to Capitol), and for him, this is a dream come true.
Q: Does this mean that Everclear is officially over?
In a way, yes and no. Yes, the "old" Everclear is forever gone (drummer Greg Eklund also left Everclear and is now part of a Los Angeles based trio known as The Oohlas), but no, Everclear is still around. Art has hired a bassist and a drummer to fill in Craig and Greg's places as well as a full-time guitarist and keyboardist. The "new" Everclear has toned down the attitude during the past few concerts and is more likely to continue the singer-songwriter genre. However, because of parting ways with Capitol Records, catching Everclear live is now limited to mostly the young adults and older fans (they have been recently been performing in clubs and bars, but they also do festivals and state fairs).
Q: What is the name of Craig's new band, and who is in it?
Craig, along with former Sweaty Nipples members drummer Brian Lehfeldt (also one of Everclear's former touring percussionists) and guitarist Scotty Heard, created Tri-Polar, which is a "play on words" with bi-polar. This time, Craig is behind the wheel as lead singer/ bassist. However, due to personal reasons, Scotty left Tri-Polar in April 2005 and was replaced by Red Sector's guitarist Kevin Hahn, who also works with Craig on another music project known as The Strain.
Q: Where can I see Tri-Polar?
Tri-Polar has been doing shows along the West Coast and mostly in Portland, OR. There has been talk about a road trip across the country, but that has not been confirmed yet. Many of the band's concerts are 21+ due to the venues' location, but the band understands that there are some underage fans who would like to see them. If you are in this situation, do not worry! Tri-Polar has also been known to do a few all ages shows.
Q: Does Tri-Polar have a record label and how can I book a show?
Unfortunately, Tri-Polar is not part of a huge record label, but they do have their own (Last Match Records) for the time being. If you want to book a show, you need to contact Eric Hellzer at helz@tripolarmusic.com.