In the mid-80s, Everclear’s Art Alexakis started the punk-country Colorfinger. When Colorfinger bit the dust, Alexakis left L.A. and moved to Portland and hooked up with bassist Craig Montoya and drummer Scott Cuthbert. After releasing some albums on indie labels and touring non-stop, Capitol signed them. “Sparkle and Fade” came out in 1995 and was notable for “Heroin Girl” and “Santa Monica.” “So Much For The Afterglow” arrived in 1997, firmly establishing Everclear with the sarcastic “I Will Buy You A New Life” and the angst-ridden “Father Of Mine.” “Songs From An American Movie, Volume 1: Learning How To Smile” and “Songs From An American Movie, Vol. 2: Good Time For A Bad Attitude” shot out in 2000. Two years later, Everclear released “Slow Motion Daydream.” Following the “Slow Motion Daydream” tour in August of 2003, both Montoya and Eklund left to work on their own projects. After a brief stint as a solo, Alexakis reformed Everclear in 2004 and saw the addition of keyboard player Josh Crawley and singer/guitarist Amir Khalifa. The “new” Everclear” released “Welcome To The Drama Club” in 2006. Everclear’s “The Vegas Years,” with covers of hits originally recorded by Tom Petty, Thin Lizzy and Hall and Oates, followed in 2008. “Invisible Stars” was Everclear’s first album of original material in six years. The lead single was “Be Careful What You Ask For.” In 2016, they came back with “Black Is the New Black.” Everclear continues to be a force of nature and tours regularly.
