Coldiron Continuum: Continuum conversation with Art Alexakis of Everclear

This morning I got to speak with Art Alexakis, lead singer of Everclear. I could not have imagined how the conversation would go. I planned to ask him about the new album, In a different light, which came out October 6^th. This is an album that features many of their hits redone, many with different arrangements, reflecting how the songs have changed over time. We would talk about what it was like to re-record many of his hits and to work with new musicians. I would talk to him about the West Coast leg of his tour, which kicks off tonight at the Rialto Theater in Tuscon, Arizona and finishes November 19^th at the Crystal Ballroom in Portland, Oregon.

There is a point about halfway through the conversation where we get disconnected. When we reconnect, the conversation goes in a completely different direction and I get inside his brain and heart.

What I could not have imagined was how personal he would be willing to get, how much he would let me in. By the time the conversation was over we were talking about parenting and not making the same mistakes both of our parents made in raising us. It turns out we have a lot in common. We talked about balancing career and personal lives, making choices and sacrifices for your kids and the toll his life as a musician took on his life as a Father and husband.

He plugged the new album and tour, which was expected, but the conversation took a major turn and I got a peek inside the mind of this musician that I've been following since I was a teenager. It helped me realize that he is not just a rock star, not just a musician. He's a person, like everyone else. He deals with many of the same problems we all face. He is real.

Listen here to the entire conversation. Enjoy what he has to say about his music, but also about his life.