The following is the full transcript of the Daily Arts interview with Everclear members Art Alexakis and Greg Eklund.

The Michigan Daily: Your new album, Slow Motion Daydream, sounds really natural, I think, as a follow up to the two American Movie discs. What was the process of writing and recording it like? Did it come really easily?

Art Alexakis: How do you feel it sounds natural?

TMD: It just seems like a natural next step. I think it has a lot of the same feel and tone of those albums. I think it combines a lot of aspects of the two.

AA: Well, to be honest with you, from our perspective, I think we kind of feel, and I know I do and I think Greg does too from what we've talked about, that it kind of combines all the records. You know there's definitely a more guitar immediacy there than what we've had even in volume 1 and volume 2, even in volume 2. I think volume 2 had a more riff rock kind of feel to it, this has more of a classic Everclear, if you can call it that, kind of feel. You know, more drums, more suspended ninths, it's more staccato - just more aggression. And lyrically I think it's probably the most mature record that we've made. It's definitely the most sociopolitical that we've made. It's going to piss some people off.

TMD: Hopefully.

AA: But it's also got more sense of humor, I think, than any of our records. I mean, we're all kind of smartasses...

TMD: So it shines through.

AA: It comes out, yeah, and it should. I mean, we're older than the average band and what we keep saying is you have to be able to laugh at yourself and the world around you.

TMD: One thing I noticed about the album is that I felt like the first half has a little more irony, and it's a little more pessimistic. Then somewhere around "Science Fiction" things start to get a little more optimistic, a little bit more hopeful. I was wondering if the songs were intentionally set up that way or if it was a happy accident.

AA: It's a happy accident, but to be honest with you, I think "Chrysanthemum" blows that whole theory out of the water. That's a pretty dark fucking song. There's really not a whole lot of light at the end of that tunnel. But, yeah, I think the characters go from very narcissistic and nihilistic with songs like "I Want to Die a Beautiful Death." I mean that's just pure fuck you, fuck your politics-I want to get high, get laid and just go out with a bright flash. It looks at that, and the character in "How to Win Friends," that character is so battered and brutalized emotionally that he can't even trust the blue sky. So, yeah, I don't think there is a constant turn there, but I do think it seemed natural for songs with a little bit more light to be at the end. It seems right to me. To be honest with you, it's not as thought out - we're not as clever as you think we are. It just seemed natural. It just seemed right.

TMD: Yeah, I thought it was interesting when I listened to it the first time or just looked at it. When I picked up the record and took a look at the songs and saw "I Want to Die a Beautiful Death," the third track, and then there's a stark contrast where you've got...

AA: "A Beautiful Life"

TMD: And then that's the second to last track.

AA: Well, there is kind of a redemption there and I guess that's kind of meant that way just by the titles. I wrote "Beautiful Death" way after "Beautiful Life." "Beautiful Life" has been kicking around for years. It's the only song that's really been kicking around.

TMD: That's actually one of my favorites on the album.

AA: Yeah, a lot of people like that. It's my wife's favorite. (to Greg) What's Ellie's favorite on the album?

Greg Eklund: I don't know, she hasn't said. She really likes the record all the way through, though. My favorite right now is "New York Times."

AA: I love playing that song. It's really powerful; really tight.

TMD: Since we're on that, what do you guys think is the best song on the album and what is your personal favorite? Is there any difference?

AA: That's actually a good question. (to Greg) What do you think the best song is?

GE: For me it's more of a gut instinct thing, you know? I think "New York Times" is my favorite and I don't really sort of say that's my favorite but there's a better song. That one affects me just on a gut level, so I'd probably say that one for both. It's great to play live, too. I just think that it sums up a lot of what's going on and it's great as an anchoring track for the record. I don't think of it in terms of intellectual and favorite, it's kind of one in the same for me.