Here's the Interview "Everclear's Audio Rollercoaster Provides Melodic Spark Amidst Generic Modern Rock By Saagar Raju Staff Writer Sex. Drugs. Colossal ego. Living extravagantly with reckless abandon. All qualities of the larger-than-life rockstar. Ironically, Everclear frontman Art Alexakis seems to have escaped successfully the pains such monsters produce and has become someone the industry can depend on to keep producing quality music. Everclear's contributions can also be heard on the soundtrack to the movie "Rock Star." Fittingly, that is also the name of the movie's first single and video. The New University recently had the opportunity to talk to Alexakis about his upcoming tour, latest albums and politics. New University: You are embarking on some college dates pretty soon. Do you have any plans afterward for maybe a tour or a solo project? Art Alexakis: Oh man, that's it. I'm definitely going to do a side thing - a couple of side things - and then do an old-time country thing with my wife. I don't know if we will bring that to L.A. If we do, we'll probably play somewhere like McCabe's in Santa Monica. Nothing big, but I'm doing a solo project where I'm just going to do all the instruments myself, all the vocals and just do a solo record. New U.: I know the other two guys in your band (Craig Montoya and Greg Eklund) were not originally going to do your solo project of "Songs From An American Movie." What got them into it? Alexakis: I had this solo record on the shelf. I listened to it and I thought it would be better with Craig and Greg playing on it. And it was, and we had already planned on making a rock record. That was "Volume Two." They were two whole different sessions: "Volume One" was in the stores the day we went in to record "Volume Two." New U: What did you seek to convey with your two albums? "Volume One" seems to be highly reflective of a time you seem to look upon fondly, and then "Volume Two" seemed to have a much harder edge, similar to "Sparkle and Fade" and "So Much for the Afterglow." Alexakis: Well, on "Sparkle and Fade," and "So Much for the Afterglow" and even "World of Noise," there are songs that are more melodic and less aggressive, and usually we do an album with both. It's a kind of audio roller coaster because that's the kind of album I like. I don't like it when bands do one thing. It's boring to me. New U: I noticed you used a lot of samples in "Volume One." Alexakis: Yeah. That was kind of my whole R&B thing right there. I don't think we'll use other people's samples again. I think that was fun to do. On the next record, I want to use a lot of samples, but my own samples, like create a loop and then fuck it up in Pro Tools and create a musical track around that. New U: On the song "AM Radio," you make mention of Led Zeppelin, who seem to reoccur in many of your past interviews. Alexakis: Yeah, I love Led Zeppelin. I got a dog named Zeppelin. New U.: And you also have a song called "Otis Redding." Alexakis: I got a dog named Otis [laughs]. My two dogs Otis Zeppelin; it's funny that you brought that up. New U.: What affect have these musicians had on you? Alexakis: [Otis Redding] was a soul singer, one of my favorite voices of all time. And Led Zeppelin is such a great rock band. I never wanted to be a singer when I was a kid. I always wanted to be a lead guitar player, like Jimmy Page. Those were the cool guys: Jimmy Page and Joe Perry of Aerosmith, Rick Nielson from Cheap Trick. Those guys were my idols. New U.: So what are your plans for the future? Alexakis: I'm working on a solo record. Staying home a lot, working on videos and commercials, directing. I'm doing a feature either this year or the year after. New U.: You're going into film? Alexakis: Yeah, writing and directing. Not acting, per se. New U.: So, what are you currently listening to, and what do you think about the resurgence of rock aside from new rap-metal? Alexakis: Well, I'm all about bringing back rock 'n' roll. I've been pretty outspoken about not calling us an alternative band or anything like that. We've just been a rock 'n' roll band. So, I think that if there is a resurgence of rock 'n' roll and singer/songwriters, that's something people have been saying is going to happen. Right now, the radio is just pretty, especially out there in L.A. You have KROQ and it's all rap-metal now. New U.: They seem to be in a rut playing that kind of thing now. Alexakis: Well, I think something is going to come and really knock people on their ass, like Nirvana did. It only happens about every 10 years or so. New U.: Do you think your success has allowed you to have more freedom in your artistic creativity? Alexakis: Definitely. It's kind of like you have success and people just back off away from you. But we've always been a band, even from the beginning when we signed to a major label. I was basically like, the band decides what we are going to do. If you are not happy with that, then don't sign us. New presidents come in a lot of times and try to tell us what to do, and I'm like, you better check your contract there, dude. New U.: How's your label doing? Alexakis: It's doing well. I'm working on this band, Flip. We start recording the record next week here in Portland. We're putting out "World of Noise," hopefully before Christmas. New U.: Back to the previous question, what bands are you currently listening to? Alexakis: Right now, I've been listening to a lot of old country music. Real old, like Carter Family and stuff from the '20s, '30s, '40s and '50s. For new bands, I'm not listening to a whole lot. I always think about stuff and then forget about it. You know, if you go into a record store, you always forget what you want, unless you write it down. I'm not that anal; I don't write stuff down. It's like, okay, I got to get this and this and this. Then when I get in there, I'm like [sighs] a kid in a candy store, and I always forget what I'm looking for. New U.: So what would you say to aspiring musicians trying to make it in the business? Alexakis: I don't know what to say to these people. Just to keep doing what you are doing. If you believe in it, just keep your blinders on and believe in what you do and not pay any attention. If people tell you that you suck, tell them to fuck off, do your own music. I did. The New University thanks Brenda Hanson, Ron Hartman and Jay Kamdar for making this interview possible".