Starting with 1993’s World of Noise, Everclear began sharpening its Portland-bred grunge to a fine power-pop point that culminated in 1997’s smash LP So Much for the Afterglow. Singles like “Father of Mine” and “Everything to Everyone” turned the band from MTV “Buzz Bin” also-rans into modern-rock mainstays. Lead singer and guitarist Art Alexakis was the main architect for the band’s distinctive metallic pop nuggets, and followed up Afterglow with the two-part Songs from an American Movie project that only yielded a handful of successful singles. Original bassist Craig Montoya and drummer Greg Eklund left the fold in 2003, and soon Alexakis expanded the group to a quintet instead of the trio Everclear had been from the beginning. Alexakis continued his intricate pop ways on two subsequent releases, and this past fall decided to start the band over fresh again. He’s recruited a different touring and recording lineup ahead of a new Everclear release scheduled for this summer.
This article appears in Jan 21-27, 2010.