Photos courtesy of Everclear / EMI Music


Everclear's stresses politics as much as music

By JON SINGER

Everclear's Art Alexakis isn't like the hundreds of Democrat-supporting artists who supported John Kerry during the 2004 election. Alexakis, 42, cared about politics before he hit it big as a musician.

"I’ve been working for political campaigns since 1988," he says. "Time’s gone on, and I’ve achieved more ability to reach more people through my music as opposed to knocking on doors and cold-calling people."

For the 2004 election, Alexakis was an elected Oregon delegate at the Democratic National Convention back in August. His experience was chronicled on VH1's "Politics: A Pop Culture History", which also followed actor Stephen Baldwin at the Republican National Convention.

"After the 2000 election I just felt like I need to give more of myself," Alexakis says. "so I’ve been really involved at the local level in Portland, Ore., and at the national level as well."

Alexakis doesn't think political interest is anything unique. There was no revelation that got him interested in the process.

" I feel like it’s just part of life," he says. "You go to school, you work, you get laid, you party, you do fun things, you play sports, you clean your house, you vote. It’s just another part of your life, and I don’t think young people look at it like that since the Watergate era."

Alexakis attributes disinterest of young voters to disillusionment. He says that elected officials do what they want anyway, and don't care about issues that concern young people.

"But the main reason they don’t pay attention to young people’s issues is because [young people are] not involved," Alexakis says. "So it’s kind of a catch-22 situation. If you want your voice heard, you’ve got to use it. You can’t just sit there and go, ‘no one’s listening to me.’"

"And I think the powers that be like that. They don’t want you to be involved. The don’t want you to feel invested," he says. "They want you to feel outside of it, apathetic and not involved. Because if you are involved – if young people were involved, they wouldn’t be in power."

Alexakis has found happiness by being in the process.

"It’s really cool. I’ve had a lot of people thank me for being involved, and I’m sure there are a lot of people who think, ‘I wish you wouldn’t do that, that sucks.’ But those guys never come up and say that stuff," he says. "And there’s a lot people who wish I’d make the same record over and over again and that just sounds like hell to me."

ON THE MUSIC FRONT

Everclear released "Ten Years Gone," a best-of CD on Oct. 5. Among its 21 songs are "Santa Monica," "Father of Mine," "Wonderful," and covers of Van Morrison's "Brown Eyed Girl," and Thin Lizzy's "The Boys are Back in Town."

Alexakis says reviewing his musical career to prepare for the album was surreal.

"It came out really really well," Alexakis says. "I’m really proud of it. I’m proud of the 10 years we spent on Capitol and I’m looking forward to taking the music to a different place and writing songs that connect with me and connect with other people. Just like I’ve always done. I’m not looking to reinvent the wheel, you know?"

Meanwhile, Everclear is touring the United States through December. They will play in Indianapolis, Chicago and Madison, Wis., on Nov. 15-17, respectively.

"We’re going to do some songs we’ve never done before," Alexakis says. "We’re going to pull out some old obscure Everclear songs, we’re going to do some new songs that we’ve been working on. It’s going to be fun."

Alexakis says Everclear always plays their hits, not just during this tour to support a "best-of" CD.

"That’s what a lot of people want to hear, so we always play those," he says. "I think artists that don’t do that are kind of arrogant, and not cognizant."