Archive for the ‘art's blog’ Category

art’s new blog 9/16/09

Wednesday, September 16th, 2009
hey everybody!
just wanted to check in and bring everyone up to date on what’s going on with me and everclear….i know it’s been a long time….so this going to be nice long blog
first of all, i hope everyone out there is getting through this miserable year…i know sometimes it looks like you are playing twister all by yourself(lol) ….but it doesnt have to look pretty…. whenever this is over,(and it will be)…whoever is still standing,….wins!
i want everyone to win
so,….im sure most of you noticed,….davey,sam,josh and tommy are not in the band anymore….without getting into specifics,……it had run it’s course….some guys left because i wanted them to,….some guys left because they wanted to,….it is what it is….you all know that this is and has always been my band….is was time to move on….i truly wish them all the best in everything they do
the good news is that before we parted ways,…we recorded a new record!….it’s called “in a different light” and it comes out 10/6/09
it’s a collection of new versions of  9 everclear favorites, that are both more acoustic and closer to way we play these songs now,….i was trying to walk the line of putting more emphasis on the vocals and lyrics by turning the guitars down a a bit…but trying to keep the emotion and intensity up….this album is still very rock and roll
i have included 2 songs that have never been on an everclear album,….”here comes the darkness”…which we originally recorded for “welcome to the drama club”,……we re-recorded the drums(with tommy) and re-mixed the whole song
the other “new” song is “at the end of the day”…which i wrote back in 2004…and it ended up as a duet i did with marion raven…and was included on her cd…hardcore everclear fans probably have heard that version….but this is the way i always intended it to sound….hope you like it
i am so fortunate to have an amazing new group of guys in everclear now,..
we have have done a few shows before our 1st tour in october and people have been loving it….let me introduce them…..
on bass i was lucky enough to finally convince my old friend freddy herrera to join the band….i have known freddy since 2003 when we toured with his band the exies
he’s a great guy and an amazing bass player and singer…incidentally,…i’ve been trying to get freddy in the band since 2004…..he also is going to start doing a tour blog after every show,…
on drums we have jordan ploskey,…he’s originally from long island,ny   but has been in la for while….he toured with perry ferrell and has played with a lot of different projects in the la scene…..he brings an old school punk/rock energy back to the band
on keyboards we have sasha smith, originally from northern california, sasha is singer/songwriter that is doing the lion’s share of harmony vocals in everclear,
he is by far the most eclectic musicians i have ever played with, not to mention one of the nicest guys i have ever met….
last but not least,….we have the fabulous johnny hawthorn on guitars and backing vocals…..johnny is originally from the philidelphia area, but has been in la for years
he is a muliti-instrumentalist that has toured for years with “toad the wet sprocket” writes,plays and sings in the johnny hawthorn band, as well as playing with various
acts in and around los angeles…..i cannot wait to get these guys into the studio early next year to record an all new original record for our new label …429/savoy
we will post more new pics of us as they become available
i have been writing a lot lately,…. and intend to make a new record that reflects all the different changes i have been through, both personally and musically…i want it to be melodic,minimal and weird,…as well as getting back to everclear’s rawer  alt-rock roots
as most of you have seen,…we are finally touring again,…with the first leg focusing on the northeast in october….we are going to tour this record 2 to 3 weeks every month for the next 4 months….so if your city isnt on there yet, please be patient
….we will be putting up the dates for the november leg as soon as they are confirmed
also,….some of you might have caught a show or two on my solo tour in march/april…i hooked up with ed kowalczyk from “live” for a show,and we had so much fun,we decided take it out on the road with leigh nash from “sixpence none the richer” on the “open wings and broken strings” tour….stay tuned for more dates….
…….2009 has been a year of changes for both me and the band,….new guys in the band,….a new album,…a new label,…new management…..vanessa and i were expecting a new baby this year as well so we moved into a bigger house but sadly we lost the baby in march…..other than that, the family is great,…anna started her senior year in high school and arizona (or “az” as we call her) is almost 2 now and growing like a weed
i want to apologize for not writing more this last year,…i have been in a weird place…
but i am super excited about the new band and the new songs, and looking forward
to the shows and seeing all of you.
all the best to everyone!
art

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OPEN WINGS-BROKEN STRINGS TOUR

Wednesday, August 26th, 2009

hey everybody

just wanted to fill you in on the latest news which i’m really excited about. i’ll be hitting the road in october w/ my good friends eddie kowalczyk of live and leigh nash of six pence none the richer for a very special acoustic tour called OPEN WINGS-BROKEN STRINGS.

we’re playing all the songs you know and love and sharing the stories behind them in a really unique and compelling way. more tour dates will be posted soon so stay tuned….you wont want to miss it.

“Stripped down and acoustic, you’ll hear the strings on the guitar
vibrate and buzz, the vocal chords hum and pulsate as the songs you
love come to life like you never knew they could. In this intimate
environment, the rockstar steps out from behind the layers of decibel
and drama to greet you with the essence, the story, and the song.
Quiet, just might be the new loud.”

- Eddie Kowalczyk

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art’s blog 12/14

Sunday, December 14th, 2008

hey everybody
just wanted to check in to catch you all up
on what’s going on with me and everclear

we got back back from iraq right before thanksgiving
and we were all seriously jet lagged for a couple weeks
we had an amazing experience over there…..the shows ranged from big bases of 2000 plus to
these little outposts where we had to get into blackhawk helicopters to get there
and played acoustice for a couple hundred soldiers

we brought a small film crew with us and we have over 60 hours of video
so after i get a chance to go through it all
we will figure out what to do with it
some of it will for sure be posted here on the page
and i will post some diary blogs on the experience as well

i am in songwriting mode and plan on going into pre production
with the boys in january for the new record

next year is going to be a busy year for me and everclear

i hope to debut my solo show in january in seattle
more on that when it is solid

i hope everybody had a great thanksgiving and is enjoying the christmas season
with all the economic issues we are all having to deal with

i have had a hard time getting into the xmas spirit this year
sorry it took so long to get the holiday songs on the player
i added some unreleased stuff that i have posted before and gets requested all the time
i hope you all enjoy it……

i also wanted to say that if anybody has a holiday default pic and wants to be in our top friends….then pls send me your email addy that is connected to your page and i will put them up

i want to thank you all for your comments,input and support through this last year

we truly do love,respect and appreciate all of you

art

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this is day one…

Thursday, November 6th, 2008

this is day one…day one of a brand new age…it may be hard for some of us to see right now….emotions are still high for everybody….euphoria for many…and depression for many as well…and the huge moments in our lives dont always seem so big when they are happening all around you…it’s hard to see the impact

what happened last night was probably the most impactful event of my life….i have 2 children…..they truly are the lights of my life…i have had tremendous success in realizing my lifelong dream……(how many people get that?)…and i have had relationships and friendships that have shaped me and the way i see the world….but the election of Barack Obama as the chosen leader of America….it makes all the other wonderful and influential things in my life seem that more vivid and complete.

growing up white in a housing project that was overwhelmingly african-american taught me a lot. it gave me skills and perspectives that i wouldn’t otherwise have and, looking at the life of Barack Obama….i see a lot of connections between us…roughly the same age…raised by a tenacious and loving single mom….abandoned by our fathers…he is an inspiration for me in so many ways but mostly i appreciate how he has taken what most people view as hardships and liabilities in life and has turned them into lessons and examples of strength and determination.

i have always been proud of what this country stands for…..a chance to realize one’s aspirations and the ability to be what we want to be…to live how we want to live…and to respect that in all people. it sounds great…it looks great on paper but, in reality, there has been a not so invisible wall dividing white americans and black americans…not just in our cultural differences….but in the opportunities and possibilities that we could look forward to…strive to achieve….for ourselves and our children.

even though there have been doors opened in this wall of prejudice and inequality….it still remained….until last night

last night, Barack Obama was elected our 44th president by an overwhelming landslide. that insists he has a mandate given to him by the american people….a mandate that he should lead us through transformation…..a mandate for change.

i have never seen before the things i saw last night….images of people, the world over, dancing in the street in pure joy and happiness.

not bad for a tuesday (lol)

let’s all get to work

art

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art’s update 10/31/08

Friday, October 31st, 2008

happy halloween!!!

i just wanted to touch base with everybody
to let you know what’s going on in the world of everclear
these days

we are going to iraq and kuwait for a OIC tour of bases
for shows and personal appearances in november

it’s something we have been wanting to do for a while,
and we are super excited about it

as most of you know
i am a vehement opponent to to the iraq war
but i am vehement supporter of our troops
who are over there
as is the whole band

and we are honored that we can do something
that will be a positive and fun event for them
so close to the holidays

we are going in to rehearsals for a new record

i am excited about my new songs and cant wait to see where they will go
when the band gets a hold of them!

i think a lot of the songs will be more aggressive
as well as as a good number of them being more singer song writer-ish

i want it to me more minimal and weird (what ever that means!)

i’ll keep you all up on how it’s going

also,…..between recording sessions

i am going to do several small solo tours
that are shows of both me playing songs
and telling in depth stories
that will include films and a dj behind it
as well as having a lot of audience q&a

it is something i have wanted to do for a long time
i hope you guys can check it out when it comes close to you

also, i am still working on getting out a colorfinger retrospective

that WILL happen early next year

…..i have been producing other bands again and i am really enjoying it

i am in the middle of working with a band from the mid west called “Apparently Nothing”….great guys, amazing songs….

ok….so as most of you know…i am pretty out spoken about my political beliefs
and this being the most important and exciting election in any of our life times (so far)

i urge all of you to vote this tuesday (nov. 4th) if you havent already

you all know how bad things are right now, and after the last couple of presidental elections…we all know that every vote counts

on a personal note,..vanessa,anna and arizona are great,….arizona is walking and anna
is looking into colleges….(when did i get so old?(lol)

have a wonderful and safe halloween!!

much love and respect

art

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