Everclear is an American rock band formed in Portland, Oregon, in 1992. The band was formed by Art Alexakis, the band's lead songwriter, vocalist, and guitarist. For most of the band's height of popularity, the band was filled out by bassist Craig Montoya and drummer Greg Eklund. After the limited release of their independently released debut album, World of Noise (1993), the band found success with their first three albums on Capitol Records: Sparkle and Fade (1995), So Much for the Afterglow (1997), and Songs from an American Movie Vol. One: Learning How to Smile (2000), which were all certified platinum in sales in the United States. However, the following two albums Songs from an American Movie Vol. Two: Good Time for a Bad Attitude (2000) and Slow Motion Daydream (2003) stalled commercially, with Montoya and Eklund leaving shortly after.
After a brief stint of solo performances, Alexakis decided to push forward with the Everclear name with new members, releasing three more studio albums, Welcome to the Drama Club (2006), Invisible Stars (2012), and Black is the New Black (2015). The band remains active in touring and live performances to-date, including many iterations of band's long-running 1990s nostalgia music festival Summerland Tour throughout the 2010s. A studio album of new material is scheduled for release in 2026.
History
Formation and World of Noise (1992–1993)
Prior to forming Everclear, frontman Art Alexakis struggled through a number of hardships that would later shape the course of the band and its music. As a child, Alexakis recounted that he suffered child abuse and child abandonment from his father at the age of five, struggled with drug addiction, and witnessed his brother die of a drug overdose aged 12 and later his girlfriend commit suicide due to drugs in the same year. motivated himself to get clean. Alexakis changed his focus into creating music; early efforts trended closer to country music Alexakis listened to growing up than Everclear's alternative rock sound; which included a brief stint in a cow punk band named "Easy Hoes". He chose the name as a metaphor for the band itself; explaining