Art Alexakis (born April 12, 1962) is an American singer, songwriter, guitarist, producer, and actor best known as the founder and frontman of the alternative rock band Everclear. Born Arthur Paul Alexakis in Los Angeles, California, he became one of the more recognizable voices of 1990s American rock through songs that combined punk energy, pop hooks, and unusually direct autobiographical writing.
Alexakis began playing guitar during his youth and became involved with local bands after overcoming serious problems with drug addiction. In the mid-1980s, he performed with groups including the Easy Hoes and Shakin' Brave, while also working in the music business and studying film. He moved to San Francisco in 1987, where he established the independent Shindig Records label and played in the alt-country group Colorfinger. Colorfinger released the album Deep in the Heart of the Beast in the Sun in 1990. Several of its songs were later reshaped for Everclear recordings.
After relocating to Portland, Oregon, Alexakis formed Everclear in 1991 with bassist Craig Montoya and drummer Scott Cuthbert. The group's early recordings included the independent album World of Noise, released in 1993. Everclear's raw sound and Alexakis' confrontational songwriting attracted attention in the expanding alternative-rock market. Following a lineup change that brought drummer Greg Eklund into the band, Everclear signed with Capitol Records.
The breakthrough came with Sparkle and Fade in 1995. The album established Alexakis as a writer willing to address family conflict, addiction, alienation, and survival without softening their emotional impact. Its single "Santa Monica" became Everclear's signature recording, while "Heroin Girl" and "Father of Mine" further demonstrated Alexakis' talent for turning painful experiences into sharply structured rock songs. Everclear reached a larger audience with So Much for the Afterglow (1997), which produced the hit singles "Everything to Everyone," "I Will Buy You a New Life," and "Father of Mine." The album's success made the band one of the leading American alternative-rock acts of the decade.
Alexakis continued to guide Everclear through several lineup changes and stylistic shifts. The band released two albums in 2000, Songs from an American Movie, Vol. 1: Learning How to Smile and Songs from an American Movie, Vol. 2: Good Time for a Bad Attitude. Later releases included Slow Motion Daydream (2003), Welcome to the Drama Club (2006), In a Different Light (2009), Invisible Stars (2012), and Black Is the New Black (2015). Alexakis also worked as a producer, label executive, and songwriter for other performers, and he made appearances in films and television programs.
In 2019, Alexakis released Sun Songs, his first album under his own name. The record reflected on aging, recovery, family, and mortality while retaining the melodic alternative-rock approach associated with his work in Everclear. That same year, he disclosed that he had been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. He subsequently became involved in raising awareness of the disease and supporting organizations serving people with MS.
Alexakis remains closely identified with Everclear, whose catalog continues to connect with listeners through its combination of memorable melodies and candid, emotionally exposed lyrics. His career is defined by the transformation of personal hardship into accessible rock songwriting and by his sustained role as the creative center of one of the most commercially successful alternative bands of the 1990s.