Everclear performing live on the Preston & Steve Show! Art Alexakis told some amazing stories about writing songs and dealing with the record industry. He also lovingly said “WMMR has been part of Everclear since, basically, Santa Monica, since ‘95. So I’m very very honored that you asked us to come in and we’ve been respectful of that relationship after all these years.”
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FunTranscript
00:00We would like to welcome Everclear to the studio this morning.
00:07Morning, everybody.
00:09The crowd goes wild.
00:11We have Art and Davey and Freddie and Brian who are all here this morning.
00:14Thank you guys for being here.
00:16You didn't even have to look at that cheat sheet too much.
00:18That was pretty good.
00:19Just a little bit.
00:20I had to glance.
00:21Gotta be.
00:21I have a track record of getting people's names wrong, so I never would have to mess it up.
00:27As long as you spell them right on the check, that's right.
00:29That's all the matter.
00:31We're really extra pleased because you're performing tonight and you're here this morning.
00:35That's a big thing to ask of you guys, but you came in and you were punctual, which we appreciate as well.
00:41Well, we didn't have a choice.
00:43You sent your drivers to come get us.
00:45They're a little rough around the edges.
00:47Oh, were they?
00:48But we kind of like that stuff, so that's okay.
00:51You know, when management asked me if I wanted to come in, I was like, absolutely.
00:59You know, MMR has been a part of Everclear since basically, you know, Santa Monica.
01:05Yeah.
01:05And even Harold will grow, I think you guys might have played since 95.
01:10So I am very, very honored and we all are that you asked us to come in.
01:16Well, thank you.
01:17And just respectful of the relationship over all these years.
01:20It does feel like a friendship over the years.
01:23You know, you've done various gigs.
01:25We were at another station prior to MMR Y100 and here as well.
01:30You were in the same family though, right?
01:32Yeah, rock.
01:33Yeah, basically, right.
01:34But, you know, it's good also to see where you are in particular, Art, in your life.
01:40And, you know, there was a point at which I said, I really like listening to what you have to say.
01:46You're with age.
01:47It does happen.
01:48I'm in your ballpark age-wise.
01:50And you do start to put things together.
01:53And you have such a wonderful take.
01:56And a lot of it has been born out of, you know, trials and tribulations of, and in fact, there's a wonderful documentary that's out about you guys.
02:04And it seems like you all are in a good place.
02:08It seems this is the sweet spot that a lot of times maybe you don't consider at the beginning of a career, but that when you get to, you're able to be yourselves and just enjoy it.
02:18Is that a correct assessment of where you are?
02:20I think that's a great assessment of where I am.
02:24And I think as a band, you know, I mean, when we really just started thinking about that, this has been 30 years since I started the band, you know, and it was the same year that my eldest daughter was born and I moved to Portland and it was rough.
02:40And I had no idea what was going to happen.
02:43We were trying to slug it out in the clubs, just another band.
02:46And we got a chance to record for 400 bucks in trade.
02:50And we recorded every song we had.
02:53And I didn't tell the band at the time, there was other guys, I didn't tell them that I basically wanted to see if I wanted to keep doing the band.
03:00Wow.
03:00See if there was anything in the, you know, if there was any magic in the music.
03:04And there was.
03:04And I sent it out to people and people started writing about it and we got gigs and we got accepted South by Southwest.
03:11So earlier this year, me and Freddie, Freddie Herrera, my bass player here, we found the actual mixtapes.
03:20I thought they were gone.
03:21Oh, wow.
03:22I thought they were gone.
03:23They had been traveling with me for moves, you know, I've moved 20 times in the last 20 years.
03:27They were at the bottom of very dirty boxes.
03:32Sonically, they held up though?
03:35Oh, my God.
03:36Yeah.
03:36We went into this with this guy who is an archivist and he had to bake the tapes and clean them.
03:42But we put them up against the time in 94 when I licensed it to Capitol, when we signed to Capitol.
03:50And they mastered it and they did it without me.
03:53And it was almost a lawsuit because they weren't supposed to do that.
03:56And it was really high-end-y, but finally I just let it go and thin and brittle.
04:01And we A-beat it versus what we have now.
04:04And it just sounds fun.
04:05That's amazing.
04:06All right.
04:06I wanted to ask you, you know, with 30 years ago, 92, a transition happened in rock-based music.
04:13And, you know, Nirvana led the way and that Seattle sound hit.
04:16And a whole floodgate of bands just fell upon us as music consumers, as listeners, as music fans and so on.
04:26It seemed, from that perspective, like everybody was getting signed to a record label deal.
04:32I was.
04:33Yeah, well, that's what I was going to ask.
04:34But the reality of it was, you know, a bunch of bands did get in, but there were a lot of people who didn't.
04:39So, you know, it wasn't like all of a sudden you make a band and you hit.
04:42You know, you had to have the real deal.
04:44You had to back it up.
04:45But what were those early days like when this whole new rush of music started getting the exposure that it did?
04:51Well, you know, it's really funny because before 92 and 91, I was living in San Francisco and I had a record label.
05:00And it was more alternative country based.
05:03But my band, Colorfinger, stupid name, good band, had, you know, I did my first album where I wrote everything and produced everything.
05:13And, you know, it was my first time doing that.
05:16And it was way more in that alternative like world, like the replacements and who's could do and stuff like that and pixies.
05:26And a friend of mine was in Europe when Nirvana broke.
05:32And he's like, wow, that kind of sounds like my friend arts band a little bit.
05:37And I'm like, I wish.
05:40But Nirvana did.
05:42They opened the door for everybody in late 1991.
05:44And a lot of good, a lot of bad.
05:48But for us, I moved to Portland because my girlfriend was from Portland and she was pregnant.
05:56And we moved up there.
05:58Plus, she had family there.
05:59My oldest sister was living there.
06:01So I had family there.
06:02And it just made sense.
06:04And plus, trying to raise a kid in San Francisco with no money.
06:09Yeah, difficult.
06:10It's one of the most expensive cities in the world.
06:12But Portland was just great.
06:15But it was hard because we were the people from California and the locals didn't like that.
06:21So we had a hard time getting gigs.
06:23Wow.
06:23But then after World of Noise and I sent it out, people just started writing about it.
06:28And even though the local hipsters didn't dig it, people started booking us.
06:34We started opening for national bands.
06:36We started doing regional tours and local tours.
06:39And a year later, in 94, we got signed to Capitol.
06:42I was watching footage of Dave Grohl.
06:43It was the earliest days of the Foo Fighters.
06:45And you guys were on tour with that.
06:47Actually, no, we were playing a show at the Roseland Theater in New York City that's not
06:55there anymore, the ballroom, Roseland Ballroom.
06:58And we were playing with them.
07:00And if you watch the whole scene, if you watch the whole scene, they're asking them.
07:05I think Kurt Loder is going, so a lot of people say this band is kind of ever clear.
07:10It's kind of ripping off your old band, Nirvana.
07:11He goes, I don't think they sound like Nirvana.
07:14Bush sounds like Nirvana.
07:16Yeah, right.
07:18It's a funny clip because everyone looks like they're nine years old.
07:21I know.
07:22But you know what's amazing, too?
07:24And I didn't realize this, but you guys hit, you were 33, right?
07:29When the band really clicked in fully.
07:32Yeah.
07:32And they wanted you, they wanted to play you younger.
07:35And you said, I can't do that.
07:36Like, they wanted you to lie about your age.
07:38Well, well, you know.
07:41Because everyone at that time seemed like they were in their early 20s.
07:45Absolutely.
07:46When I signed, I was 32.
07:48Capital, after I signed a contract that said I had full control over everything, they were
07:55like, no, we're going to tell everybody you're 24.
07:58And I'm like, no.
07:59You know, and I said it in other words that I can't use on the radio, but I basically said,
08:06look, man, I don't need your help to make me look like a jerk.
08:09I didn't say jerk.
08:10And I can do that all on my own.
08:12Trust me, ask any of my ex-wives, they'll tell you.
08:15But you know what?
08:16Because you hit, and because of the, I think, and correct me if I'm wrong, but it seems as
08:20as if, because you just started, bam, bam, bam, bam, bam, almost like you were driven
08:23by this sense of urgency, like a-
08:26Sobriety.
08:26Yeah, sobriety.
08:27Sobriety.
08:28But you were, yeah, tearing, tearing out, like, out of the gate.
08:31Yeah.
08:32Well, you know, a lot of people were like, God, you had, like, overnight success.
08:35I'm like, man, I've been playing in bands since I was 16.
08:40We've all been playing in bands since we're, like, 16.
08:42Yeah.
08:43You know, there's no overnight success.
08:45Every band built up and built up and built up to the point that, you know, we're at the
08:50right place at the right time.
08:51We're going to, and Art said we can get three songs this morning, so let's chat and play
08:55and chat and play if that's cool.
08:56Absolutely.
08:57All right, what song are we going to start off with?
08:58We're going to start with I Will Buy A New Life.
09:00Outstanding.
09:01All right, this is Everclear on MMR.
09:04One, two, three, four.
09:06Here's the money that I owe you.
09:22Yes, you could pay the bills.
09:26I'll give you some more when I get paid again.
09:29I hate those people who love to tell you money is the root of all the care.
09:37They have never been poor, never won the joy of a welfare Christmas.
09:42I know we're going to start with you.
09:44I know we'll never look back.
09:49I know we'll never look back.
09:51Yeah.
09:51I know we'll never look back.
09:52I know we'll never look back.
09:57I know we'll never look back.
10:01You get up.
10:02You get up and you go lay down inside my baby.
10:05Oh, yeah, I guess you're doing okay.
10:11I'm moving with the strangest guy.
10:14Can you believe me?
10:16I could think that I'm going to lie.
10:19I will buy you a garden where your flowers will be blue.
10:27I will buy you a new car, perfect shiny and bright.
10:33I will buy you that big house way up in the west.
10:39I will buy you a new car.
10:43Oh, yes, I will.
10:45I know all about that of the guy.
10:55A handsome man with an athletic thigh.
10:58I know all about the time before.
11:01That a second they'll fix for it.
11:04They might make you think you're happy.
11:08Yeah, maybe for a minute or two.
11:11They can't make you laugh.
11:12I know they can't make you feel the way that I do it.
11:16I will buy you a garden where your flowers will be blue.
11:23I will buy you a new car, perfect shiny and bright.
11:30I will buy you that big house way up in the west.
11:35I will buy you a new car.
11:36I will buy you a new car, perfect shiny and bright.
11:42I will buy you.
13:14Yeah.
13:16Oh, man.
13:17Awesome.
13:18That guitar sounds amazing.
13:20Everclear.
13:20Yeah, that 12-string sounds great, man.
13:22Thanks, man.
13:23Beautiful instrument.
13:24Yeah.
13:24Our tech, Marcus, just a...
13:26What are you pointing at?
13:27I don't know what it is.
13:28I'm pointing at you.
13:29He's doing a great job.
13:30He's doing a great job, man.
13:31I'm okay.
13:32I'll tell you when I'm not okay.
13:34I'm 60, dude.
13:36I don't know if that's worse.
13:38So, Art, I want to ask you that your album's 30 years old.
13:41It came out in 92, and there's a track on the album called Pennsylvania Is.
13:46Yes.
13:46Can I ask you about that song?
13:48Sure.
13:48All right.
13:49So, what's about that song?
13:51At the time, back in 1992, here in Pennsylvania, you guys had, was it Bob Casey?
13:58Yeah.
13:58Yeah.
13:59It was Bob Casey.
14:00He's still here.
14:00The guy's dad, right?
14:01Yeah.
14:01And he was a Democrat, but he was a pro-life Democrat.
14:05He was an anti-abortion Democrat because he's very Catholic.
14:09And the laws here were very, very, very stringent.
14:13And that was a big thing that was going on with Operation Rescue and people like the guy
14:18who owns the Detroit Tigers and Domino Pizza that's openly giving money to these people
14:25called Operation Rescue that was bombing abortion clinics all over the place, including in Pennsylvania.
14:30And that's what the song was about.
14:32There we go.
14:33You always write what you're passionate about, and you take a lot from your personal life.
14:38And that's been very, you've been, well, you know, there are some songs like Father
14:42Mine and I'll Buy a New Life, and these things are very, very open.
14:46Therapeutic, I assume, for a songwriter to do things like that?
14:50I think so.
14:50I think from a point of catharsis, yeah, I guess you're right.
14:54But I do it because I just find when people write about Dungeons and Dragons and crap like
15:01that, it's just disingenuous.
15:03You don't know what the hell you're talking about.
15:05I know what I'm talking about with this.
15:07So I talk about it.
15:07I talk about my kids because being a parent is one of the, you know, big things in my life.
15:15Have you ever written something down and gone, okay, I've opened up a bit too much here.
15:21That might be too much to present to the public.
15:23Yeah.
15:24Okay.
15:24Yeah, I wrote a song called You that was actually recorded here in Pennsylvania for our last record
15:31that we finished called Black is the New Black, and that was a song about me getting raped when
15:39I was eight.
15:39Wow.
15:40I had never talked about it before.
15:41Okay.
15:42But it was time to write a song about it.
15:45And on my solo record, but we've never played it live.
15:48We're never going to play it live.
15:50Okay.
15:50I don't need to play that.
15:52Right.
15:52You know, and on my solo record that I put out in 2019, I did a song at the time that
16:00I hadn't talked to anybody about, but it was about me having MS, which I was diagnosed
16:05with in 2016, but I hadn't, I mean, these, you know, friends and family and people I talked
16:12to knew about it, but I wasn't public about it until 2019.
16:16Did I recall correctly that you may, they said that you may have had that for much longer
16:21before you were diagnosed with it?
16:23Do you think 15 to 20 years ago?
16:24No kidding.
16:25Yeah, because that seems like a late diagnosis.
16:27Yeah.
16:27Yeah.
16:27Because basically what is, they found, I was in a car accident, long story short, I was
16:33in a car accident in April of 2016.
16:37Brakes just froze up.
16:38It wasn't my fault.
16:39He had a parked car that wasn't supposed to be parked there.
16:42Two weeks later, no one got hurt.
16:45Two weeks later, I started getting a twitch in my neck and we were talking about rehab
16:50and stuff earlier.
16:51I called my orthopedic surgeon and he's like, go get an MRI, I'll find out where it is, I'll
16:57give you a patrol, you'll be fine.
16:59Wow.
16:59I walk into his office, his little examination room like I always do, and there's like six
17:04guys in there.
17:05Oh man.
17:05Wow.
17:05That's about as big as behind where you guys are standing there, and they all got like
17:10long coats and clipboards, and they all just look at me like, like that.
17:16And I'm like, it's not good.
17:18I don't know what this is, but this is not good.
17:20Have you ever had an intervention?
17:21Because I know you're sober.
17:22I mean, I would imagine it's got to be kind of like that.
17:25You're walking into a room, you're like, what the hell is going on?
17:27Yeah, yeah, yeah.
17:27You know, when I got sober, there wasn't intervention.
17:30There wasn't rehabs, only if you're rich people.
17:33Yeah, yeah.
17:33Back in 89, that wasn't the thing.
17:36It hadn't become a cottage industry yet.
17:38It's funny.
17:39Recovery.
17:40So, you're in recovery, I'm in recovery.
17:42I got a little over 10 years, which my cousin always says, it's a good start.
17:45Congratulations.
17:45It's a good start, right?
17:46Yeah.
17:47But I love talking to old timers and people that have been around for a long time, and
17:51they're like, you know, you guys had like real grit, you know?
17:55You didn't have the support system that I have, or at least that I had early on.
18:01So, yeah, it's pretty amazing.
18:03They didn't give us nice drugs for real.
18:05They gave us battery acid.
18:07We're tough, man.
18:08We're tough for you.
18:09No, I just hit 33 or so, like, last week.
18:1233.
18:12Wow.
18:13Congratulations.
18:13Good start.
18:14I assume people reach out to you for encouragement?
18:17All the time.
18:18Okay.
18:18As a matter of fact, I went back to school, college.
18:22I started college in the 80s, got my two-year degree, my AA degree, and then it got, I had
18:29to make a choice between going to college, playing on band, working, making a living, and
18:34drinking, becoming a blackout drunk.
18:37And obviously, that was way more important than going to school.
18:40So, at the time, I quit school.
18:43And then now I went back, and I'm about a year and a half, no, about a year away from
18:48my psychology degree.
18:51I've got a full-on life coaching, master life coaching, three degrees that I got over
18:56the last two years, and alcohol, drug certification.
18:59That's phenomenal.
19:00I'm going to work with people who are creatives in the creative industry, you know, writers,
19:06musicians, actors, producers, stuff like that.
19:10You know, you'd think you'd get a big ding from, you know, the diagnosis, finding out,
19:14and that would put your sobriety to the test.
19:17And you did?
19:18Yeah.
19:18Yeah.
19:19But you overcame that, and you're in good shape.
19:23You work out a fair amount, do you not?
19:25I do.
19:26Yeah.
19:26We were talking about that earlier.
19:28I do physical therapy.
19:30I swim.
19:31One of the things about, excuse me, about MS is that you can't get overheated.
19:37It's not good for you.
19:38So, just running or doing regular kind of cardio is not good for me, except for the fact that
19:44my body needs it, right?
19:45Right.
19:46So, when we bought our house in 2018, I had to make sure there was either a pool or room
19:52for a pool.
19:53I live in South California, so I built this big house.
19:57Really big.
19:58Yeah.
19:58My wife is like, really?
20:00Really?
20:01Well, yeah.
20:02You're going to swim.
20:02You're going to swim.
20:03Yeah.
20:04Look, I put the hot tub in there for her.
20:06The high, you know, little six inches where they sit, you know, umbrella.
20:11Just, but, yeah, I got like...
20:13You got your laps.
20:14You know, I got 60 foot of swim lane, and I do it just about every day.
20:21Nice.
20:21Excellent.
20:21And it's good for me, you know, it's good being, you know, we're all in, you know, we're
20:29all in our 50s until April.
20:31He just hit 50.
20:32Oh, all right.
20:33Yeah.
20:33But he's the fresh blood right there.
20:36Well, speaking of that, before we get another song from you guys, can you tell us a little
20:40bit about your bandmates, please?
20:41Sure.
20:41On bass and vocals, he likes on walks on the beach.
20:45Yes.
20:47Hang gliding.
20:48Holding hands.
20:49Hang gliding.
20:51Hang gliding while you're playing bass.
20:54It's Freddie, Freddie Herrera on the guitar.
20:58Davey's been with me for, God, I'm 18.
21:0018.
21:00Wow.
21:01Wow.
21:01Davey French.
21:02Yeah.
21:03On the guitar and vocals.
21:05And then the kid.
21:06Back on the drum with the kid.
21:07The kid.
21:08Fresh blood.
21:09Sweater, as we call him.
21:10Sweater?
21:11Sweater?
21:12That's a long story.
21:12How did he earn that?
21:13All right, all right.
21:14You don't want to go there.
21:15All right.
21:15I have to take his shirt off.
21:16Yeah, take his shirt off.
21:18That's Brian Nolan.
21:19Brian.
21:20Cool.
21:21Brian used to play in a band called American Hi-Fi back in the day.
21:24Okay.
21:24Yeah.
21:25I remember.
21:25In fact, there's a lot of bands looking at who everybody has played with that I'm seeing.
21:30Brian, you played with Tracy Bonham as well, the Lemonheads.
21:34Oh, God.
21:35And you guys have been in and out of a few different bands throughout the years that we're all familiar
21:39with, which is great.
21:41And you guys all settle in together, so that's really cool.
21:44This incarnation's been around for, I think, about six, seven years.
21:48Okay.
21:48Yeah.
21:49All right.
21:49Well, if you don't mind, let's hear something else we're going to play now, Art.
21:52How about a really upbeat, fun song about parental abandonment?
21:57By the way, real quick.
21:58You can stream this on YouTube.
22:00We are live in the studio right now with Everclear.
22:02So, here we go.
22:04Father of mine, tell me where have you been?
22:10Just closed my eyes, my whole world disappeared.
22:15Father of mine, tell me back to the day.
22:20Yeah, when I was still your golden boy, back before you went away.
22:25I remember blue skies, walkin' the block.
22:32Loved it when you hit me high.
22:34Man, I'd love to hear you talk.
22:37Take me to the movie.
22:40Take me to the beat.
22:43Take me to a place inside.
22:46Father of mine, tell me where did he go?
23:06Had the world inside of him, you're not seen to know.
23:11Father of mine, tell me what do you see?
23:17When you look back at your waiting light and you don't see me.
23:23Ten years old, doin' all that I could.
23:29Wasn't easy for me, be a scared white boy in a black neighborhood.
23:34Sometimes you send me a birthday card, find all the bells.
23:40Never understood his head, and I guess I never went.
23:48Then he gave me a name.
23:54Then he gave me a name.
23:58Then he walked away.
24:00Then he gave me a name.
24:04Then he walked away.
24:06Then he gave me a name.
24:09Then he gave me a name.
24:13Then he gave me a name.
24:14Then he gave me a name.
24:15No Limits
24:24Daddy gave me a name
24:30Daddy gave me a name
24:33Daddy walked away
24:36Daddy gave me a name
24:39Then he walked away
24:42Daddy gave me a name
24:45Yeah, yeah, oh yeah
24:53Father of mine, tell me where did you go
25:02Had the world inside your hand, didn't I seem to know
25:08Father of mine, tell me what do you see
25:14When you look back at your wasted life
25:17And you don't see me
25:19Never be sane, I will never be sane
25:26Always be weird in time, always be lame
25:31I'm a grown man, with a child of my own
25:38That's why I'm not gonna let her know
25:41And I had known
25:44Oh
25:49Daddy walked away, Daddy gave me a name
26:01Daddy walked away, Daddy gave me a name
26:07Daddy walked away, Daddy gave me a name
26:13Daddy walked away, my Daddy gave me a name
26:19Daddy walked away, Daddy walked away
26:24Then he walked away
26:27Yeah, outstanding.
26:31That song guts me every time.
26:33Everclear on 93.3 WMMO.
26:36The most beautiful thing about that song,
26:39and I'm actually getting a little choked up as I'm speaking here,
26:42is the final verse and the redemption.
26:45You know, it's your story.
26:46It's not my story.
26:47I don't know why I get so emotional to think about it.
26:50But it's, I've learned from these things.
26:54I've learned what not to do in life.
26:56I've taken this experience, this negative experience,
26:59and I'm going to funnel, I'm going to channel that into something positive.
27:02It's so beautiful.
27:03It's just amazing.
27:04Yeah, I mean, you know, it's funny.
27:06I never planned to write that song.
27:08I just remember, I mean, who's parents here?
27:11Who's got kids?
27:13A bunch of us, yeah.
27:13So, you ever watch your kids sleep?
27:17Yeah, absolutely.
27:19Especially when you're poor.
27:20I mean, there's nothing else to do.
27:21But it's just one of those redeeming things where you feel like,
27:26hey, I didn't screw this one up.
27:28This is pretty cool.
27:29This is what's going on here, you know,
27:32and you start thinking about what all these implications are.
27:36And I remember watching my daughter sleep.
27:38She must have been about five or six.
27:42No, younger.
27:44Yeah, four or five.
27:45And I just remember just thinking, how does a man walk away from that?
27:50How do you actually do that?
27:52I don't know how you do that.
27:53I wasn't raised like that.
27:55I was raised by my mom.
27:57You know, I don't have any bad feelings about my dad.
27:59He died a few years ago.
28:00Didn't really know him.
28:01You know, I mean, had kind of an okay relationship.
28:05Tried to get closer to him, but he just wasn't able to do it.
28:09I was raised by my mom, a single mom.
28:12And after that kind of epiphany, I went into my office
28:17and just stayed up all night and wrote that song.
28:21What did your mom think about songs like that when she heard them?
28:27As long as it wasn't about her.
28:30I wrote some songs about my mom.
28:32She didn't like those too much.
28:33But they were really good.
28:36They were just hard.
28:37You know, it's funny.
28:38Someone asked one of my sisters, who I'm not really close to,
28:41but asked one of my sisters, you know,
28:44what's your brother like?
28:46Is that real?
28:47Did he like add a lot of stuff?
28:49And he goes, she goes, Arthur was being nice.
28:52Yeah.
28:53Yeah.
28:53And kind.
28:54It's, you know, your ability as a songwriter
28:57to things that I may not have experienced in my life,
29:01but can tap through to.
29:03And that's why I'm not a dad, but I had a dad.
29:06And I know, you know, all of those things.
29:08And just to, with the economy of your writing,
29:11to get right to the point,
29:13there's a great song that I've always loved,
29:15Learning How to Smile.
29:17Yeah.
29:17That's one of my favorites.
29:19And it's, I think you've called out
29:22the best song you've ever written.
29:24Is that correct?
29:24One of them.
29:25Yeah.
29:25It's up there.
29:26That and I think a song called Summerland
29:28that was on Sparkle and Fade.
29:30When you're done with the song,
29:31when you have it the way you want it,
29:33do you walk away?
29:34And is it that moment you say,
29:36okay, this is in the Pantheon,
29:37or does it become that over time?
29:40I think, I don't know about Pantheon
29:43because that's a fancy East Coast word.
29:44We don't have that on the West Coast, do we?
29:48There's no Pantheon.
29:48No, it's not a Pantheon.
29:49On the West Coast, that would be a band name.
29:51Yeah, yeah.
29:52Pantheon.
29:53We have Pantry.
29:54Yeah.
29:54Somewhere in there, you threw Pantheon.
29:56It's a hair metal band.
29:57We're Pantheon.
30:05I'm in a band.
30:10Yes, to be, yes, Steve.
30:13I mean, it's like,
30:14when I've written songs like Father Mine,
30:17I knew I had something.
30:18I thought I had something,
30:19and then I played it for my A&R guy in LA,
30:23and he's this,
30:24at the time,
30:24he was like this, you know,
30:2545-year-old Brit,
30:27very stoic guy,
30:28and he got all kind of misty behind his glasses,
30:31but outside we heard, like, this noise,
30:33and we walked out
30:34where the assistant secretaries were sitting,
30:37and they were all sitting on one desk,
30:40hugging each other, sobbing.
30:42Wow.
30:42Wow.
30:43And my A&R guy's,
30:44he's like,
30:45I don't know if it's a single,
30:46but it's definitely going on the road.
30:47Yeah.
30:48Well, when I was in,
30:50I won't say what year,
30:51but there were two albums,
30:53two soundtracks that were on rotation in my Discman.
30:56It was the Empire Record soundtrack
30:57and the Romeo and Juliet soundtrack,
30:59over and over,
31:00and every time I heard Local God,
31:02I had to play it at least three or four times.
31:04How did that end up on,
31:05I mean, Baz Luhrmann,
31:06did they choose it?
31:07Was it already written?
31:08Did you write it for the movie?
31:09Well, I did write it for the movie.
31:11Oh.
31:11I did, actually.
31:12I was in New York City.
31:13We were doing the MTV Music Awards
31:18that we were on,
31:20that Chris Rock was actually hosting back in,
31:22I think, 96.
31:23No incidents there, right?
31:25No, I didn't slap him right.
31:29Yeah, he probably would have slapped me back.
31:31But I remember they asked me,
31:35we had just come back from Europe,
31:37my family had flown in,
31:38my daughter was there,
31:38my wife,
31:39and we're staying at this fancy hotel,
31:41and they had asked me to do the song for this
31:45and they sent me like a little bit of the video
31:48of the scene they wanted us to be in.
31:51And I'm pretty well versed in Shakespeare.
31:56I studied Shakespeare back when I was in college
31:58and I knew the scene that they were talking about
32:02from the original Shakespeare,
32:04even though it had guys with tattoos
32:06and blow writers and stuff.
32:07John Leguizamo.
32:08Yeah.
32:08Exactly.
32:09And I went shopping with my wife
32:14and I heard like bass and drums,
32:16which in the mid-90s was kind of like the cool thing.
32:19And I just kind of dug that loopy kind of feel to it.
32:22And I went back to the room.
32:24It was the day before the awards.
32:26I went back to the room and wrote that song.
32:29Yeah.
32:30That's wild.
32:30Was it difficult to write?
32:31I mean, is it difficult?
32:32It's almost like being given an assignment in school.
32:35Yeah.
32:35You know, here's your theme.
32:36Sometimes, sometimes it is.
32:38Sometimes I'm like, I'm either interested or not.
32:42Okay.
32:42I can either do it or I can't.
32:44But I felt like I could on this.
32:46And incidentally, so it was on that soundtrack
32:51because we were on Capitol and it was a Capitol soundtrack.
32:53And we made more money off that one song on that soundtrack
32:58than we made on Sparkle and Fits.
32:59No way.
33:00That's crazy.
33:01Yes, crazy.
33:02Wow.
33:02Because we had that platinum record.
33:04We could go in and just, you know, kind of everything to the wall
33:08and just negotiate this great thing.
33:11We made a lot of money off that.
33:12But incidentally, we go to Australia later that year
33:17and we're getting ready to play.
33:20And the head of EMI Australia, the head of the record company,
33:25is like, why aren't you playing Local God?
33:26And I go, because it's the soundtracks.
33:29He goes, dude, he goes, mate, it's a number one hit here
33:33on three different formats.
33:34Oh, my God.
33:35You've got to play that song.
33:36Yeah.
33:36That's what we had to figure out.
33:37It's funny, we were talking earlier about Kate Bush has run up that hill.
33:41It's become a massive hit.
33:43From Stranger Things.
33:44Stranger Things, decades later.
33:46I've got a 14-year-old.
33:47I know.
33:47There you go.
33:49I wanted to ask you quickly about mentioning MTV.
33:52And there was the documentary about the 99 Woodstock.
33:55And you were there.
33:56I was there.
33:57Thank God they didn't mention us.
33:59Anybody they mentioned, they just tore apart.
34:02But you had a different take on it slightly.
34:05It sucked.
34:06It sucked.
34:07Oh, it sucked.
34:07It was horrible.
34:08I was there.
34:09I mean, you saw it.
34:10I was there.
34:11And you could see, as a fan, on our end, it's just sort of descending into madness.
34:17You could see it like Saturday.
34:18You're like, dude, there's something wrong is happening here.
34:21The different take you're talking about is when we were on stage.
34:25Yeah.
34:25No, we had 300,000 people singing the words to Santa Monica.
34:29It's got to be one.
34:29That's a city.
34:30That was just a city.
34:31Yeah.
34:31That's a good-sized city.
34:34Yeah, yeah, yeah.
34:34And that makes you think, because there was no plumbing, there was no water.
34:38They were selling water for eight bucks a bottle.
34:41It was way too expensive is what it was.
34:43Eight to ten bucks a bottle.
34:43Yep.
34:44And some people were buying a lot of it and then selling it for even more.
34:48And there was girls getting sexually abused and raped and doing sexual favors with the
34:56crew underneath the stage to get on stage.
34:59There was all sorts of just horrible things going on.
35:02But that hour that we were on stage was transcendent.
35:05Well, I love how you observed that.
35:07You said you guys beat a hasty retreat when you found out that the chili peppers were handing
35:11out candles.
35:11Yeah, that was just, that was going to go, that was going to go south.
35:15We're like, oh, yeah, we're done.
35:18That's the biggest audience you've ever played for, I would assume?
35:21Probably.
35:22Wow.
35:22Wow.
35:23Well, the show is tonight at Keswick Theater.
35:26You can get tickets at keswicktheater.com.
35:28We've got time for one more.
35:29If you guys would indulge, it'd be great.
35:31You got it.
35:31All right.
35:31This is Everclear on MMR.
35:33Hey, thanks for having us here.
35:34Anytime.
35:35We love coming back.
35:36You know that.
35:37This is called Santa Monica.
35:38Santa Monica.
35:38Santa Monica.
35:41I am still living with your ghost Lonely and dreaming of the West Coast
35:56I don't want to be your damn time.
36:03I don't want to be your stupid game.
36:09With my big black boots and an old suitcase.
36:11I do believe I find myself a new place.
36:20I don't want to be your bad guy.
36:26I don't want to do your sleepwalking.
36:30With my life.
36:31I just want to see some trees.
36:37Go away.
36:39Try to shake your disease.
36:43We could live beside the ocean.
36:47Leave the fire down.
36:49Swim out past the breakers.
36:52Watch the world die.
36:54We could lift the size of the ocean
36:57Leave the fire behind
37:00Swim out past the bridge
37:03Watch the world die
37:06Yeah, watch the world die
37:11I am still dreaming of your day
37:18Hungry and hollow
37:21Right things you took away
37:24I don't want to be your good time
37:31I don't want to terrify that crush anymore
37:37Walk right out into a brand new day
37:41Oh, it's even rising in my own weird way
37:48I don't want to be your good time
37:53I don't want to do your sleep
37:57I don't want to dance anymore
38:00I just want to see the sun shine
38:06I just want to fight for that to be alone
38:10We can live beside the ocean
38:15Leave the fire behind
38:18Swim out past the bridge
38:21Watch the world die
38:24We could live beside the ocean
38:27Leave the fire behind
38:29Swim out past the bridge
38:33Watch the world die
38:35Watch the world die
38:37Yeah, watch the world die
38:42Watch the world die
38:47Oh, yeah
38:50Come on, watch the world die
38:53Yeah, watch the world die
38:59Yeah, yeah
39:03Everclear, Santa Monica, MMR
39:09I have to ask
39:10Because that's the song
39:11That really launched the band
39:12What was the kernel of inspiration
39:15To write that song?
39:17I was living in Portland
39:18We just got signed to Capitol
39:23We were getting ready to go
39:24To Seattle to film a video
39:27For a song off World of Noise
39:30A song called Fire and Maple Song
39:33And then we were driving from there
39:34Straight across to Wisconsin
39:37Madison, Wisconsin
39:38At Smart Studios
39:40Where we recorded this
39:41Where we recorded Sparkle and Fade
39:44And I had been suffering
39:46From anxiety, depression for a while
39:48I was clean
39:49But, you know, when I got clean
39:51I just started having panic attacks
39:53And stuff like that
39:53And when I drove to the beach
39:55With my wife and my daughter
39:57For a few days
39:59It just went away
40:01All the anxiety went away
40:03And then when I started heading back
40:05Away from the ocean
40:07It all came back
40:09And when I got home
40:10I just
40:11It really
40:12I wrote a song about comfort zones
40:14Because I grew up by the ocean
40:16I grew up on the west side of LA
40:18Santa Monica, Venice, Culver City
40:19And
40:20I wrote this song
40:24And recorded it
40:26And my A&R guy thought it was amazing
40:29Thought it was going to be a hit
40:30Which he was right
40:31Forced us to make it a little bit longer
40:34That's another story
40:35But he was right
40:37Yeah
40:37And, you know
40:39But I
40:40I called it Santa Monica
40:43Because that's my comfort zone
40:45That's where I was from
40:46That's where I grew up
40:47Yeah
40:47And they're like
40:49No, you can't call it that
40:50You don't say Santa Monica
40:52You can watch me call it that
40:55So, but for radio
40:59The one caveat I made
41:01Was that for radio
41:02You call it
41:03Santa Monica
41:04In parentheses
41:05Watch the world die
41:06Right
41:07Because they're like
41:07No, you need to change that
41:09To watch the world die
41:09And the president of the Capitol
41:11Was constantly calling me
41:12Calling me names
41:13And just like
41:15No, you gotta do this
41:16I'm telling you
41:17You gotta do this
41:17You're gonna ruin your career
41:19I go
41:19Well
41:20You still gotta pay me, Ace
41:23Why did you feel so strongly
41:25About that title?
41:27I mean, that's
41:27It seems like a little thing
41:28As an artist
41:29It might not be
41:29Because I grew up with Led Zeppelin
41:30And Led Zeppelin named a lot of things
41:32Yes
41:32That they didn't have
41:33To this day
41:34Correlation
41:34I still am like
41:35Oh, that's Black Dog, right?
41:36Yeah
41:37That's, you know
41:37We play them all the time
41:38And we can't name the time
41:39Right?
41:40Yeah
41:40I mean, everybody does
41:42This meant something to me
41:44This wasn't some ambiguous
41:46Kind of trying to be cool thing
41:48Right
41:48Santa Monica
41:49Was swim out past the breakers
41:52Watch the world die
41:53That was the imagery
41:55Of what I grew up with
41:58You know, you gotta
41:59Because I used to do that
42:00I used to go
42:00You know, I was drunk
42:01Yeah, yeah
42:02I had with friends
42:02We'd swim out
42:03And we'd be out there in the dark
42:05And just like
42:06God, I hope the shark doesn't bite me
42:08Oh my God
42:09You always have to remember that
42:11And I always say like
42:11And there was a series
42:13That just wrapped up
42:13Called The Offer
42:14About the making of
42:15The original Godfather
42:15And they fought Francis Ford Coppola
42:17On Al Pacino
42:19At every turn
42:20He was right
42:21So there you go
42:22Sometimes what's in your gut
42:23Is right
42:24Sometimes
42:24Especially when you're young
42:26And hungry
42:26Like that
42:27And the fire's in your belly
42:28For sure
42:28Right, right, right
42:29But
42:29Well, here we are
42:3130 years later
42:32And you guys are celebrating
42:34The anniversary tour
42:35Or the anniversary of the album
42:38World of Noise
42:38And there's a deluxe edition
42:40That's available
42:40If people would like to get that
42:42For the first time
42:43On digital platforms
42:45It's never been on digital platforms
42:46Oh, that's why
42:47Yeah
42:48It's remastered
42:49It's got six bonus tracks
42:50Two of them
42:51Have never been
42:51Previously released
42:54And it's
42:56It sounds great
42:57Excellent
42:58I mean, it's raw, you know
42:59You sound great
43:00But you can tell
43:02If you like the later stuff
43:04You can tell
43:05Where it came from
43:06When you hear this
43:07This is the root of all of it
43:08For sure
43:09This has been such a blast
43:10Thank you guys for being here
43:12This morning
43:12Thanks for having us
43:13Great to have you here
43:14We'll see you next time