Craig Montoya

Last updated 
Craig Montoya is engaged to his long-time girlfriend, Juli Rogina. Their wedding will take place in October 2024.
Craig Montoya
Craig Montoya 1999.jpg
Montoya performing with Everclear
July 22, 1999
Background information
Birth nameCraig Aloysius Montoya
Born (1970-09-14) September 14, 1970 (age 53)
Spokane, Washington, United States
Genres
Occupation(s)Musician, songwriter
Instrument(s)
  • Bass
  • guitar
  • keyboards
  • vocals
  • mandolin
Years active1992–present
Labels Capitol

Craig Aloysius Montoya (born September 14, 1970) is the bassist of Castella and Tri-Polar and former bassist of Everclear. [1] [2]

Contents

Early life

Montoya was born in Spokane, Washington, the son of Daniel and Marge Montoya. He has an older brother named Dave, and an older sister named Tami; their parents later divorced.

Montoya attended Mead Senior High School, where his friends included "drug-users and musicians." When he was seventeen, the local law enforcement raided his home. He was not arrested at that point, but later was for a DUI. After spending some time in jail, Montoya knew "[he] didn't want to spend the rest of [his] life behind bars." From that point on, he has rehabbed and has successfully remained clean.[ citation needed ]

Career

From an early age, Montoya wanted to play music. Though he was originally interested in the drums, a lack of bass guitarists in the area led him to choose the instrument. He bought his first bass guitar and amp when he was sixteen, with money he earned mowing lawns. After graduating high school, Montoya joined a band named Soul Hammer and planned a move to Portland, Oregon, but was dropped from the band once their demo tape was finished. He then looked for a bass position in The Rocket, a Northwest newspaper, and found an ad from Art Alexakis, the former lead singer of Colorfinger. Alexakis united with him and drummer Scott Cuthbert, and together they founded Everclear. The trio recorded many b-sides and performed live and local shows. In 1993, they released World of Noise , which was recorded in a friend's basement studio.

In 1994, Everclear made several changes. Cuthbert was replaced by former Jollymon drummer Greg Eklund. The band also moved from Tim/Kerr Records to Capitol. In 1995, the new Everclear released their U.S. debut album, Sparkle and Fade with singles "Heroin Girl," "Heartspark Dollarsign," "You Make Me Feel Like a Whore," and "Santa Monica". The album found an audience on the alternative rock scene, as did their 1997 follow-up, So Much for the Afterglow .

During a 1998 Australian tour, Montoya got into a heated backstage argument with Alexakis after a fan threw a lit explosive on stage, and the tour was cut short. Montoya did not join the band for the ensuing tour of the United Kingdom, with David LoPrinzi filling in.

In August 2003, after three more albums, Montoya left Everclear. In 2004, Montoya formed a new band called Tri-Polar with Sweaty Nipples members Scotty Heard on guitar and Brian Lehfeldt on drums. The band began to record in late 2004, but weeks before its self-titled release on May 27, 2005, Heard left the band for personal reasons. Looking for a replacement, Montoya turned to Kevin Hahn of Red Sector, his bandmate from The Strain. Tri-Polar is still active and plays many cities along the West Coast, including the group members' hometown of Portland.

In 2006, Montoya helped formed Castella with Hahn and frontman Ryan Andrew of Sidestar. They worked with producer Joe Chiccarelli to record How Did We Get Here during 2007. The record received praise from the critics for its songwriting and production, and several songs from the record found their way onto TV series and movie soundtracks.

Craig is also currently performing with Tacos In Hell in the Portland, OR. area. The band was founded during the pandemic in a garage. Band members include Dan Bates, Rudy Hedges, Kevin Staley, and Montoya.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Everclear (band)</span> American alternative rock band

Everclear is an American rock band formed in Portland, Oregon, in 1991. The band was formed by Art Alexakis, the band's lead songwriter, vocalist, and guitarist, and for most of the band's height of popularity, consisted of Craig Montoya on bass guitar and Greg Eklund on drums. After the limited release of their independently released debut album, World of Noise, the band found success with their first three albums on Capitol Records: Sparkle and Fade, So Much for the Afterglow, and Songs from an American Movie Vol. One: Learning How to Smile, which were all certified platinum in sales. However, the following two albums Songs from an American Movie Vol. Two: Good Time for a Bad Attitude and Slow Motion Daydream, were not as well received, and as sales suffered, Montoya and Eklund left the band shortly after in 2003.

<i>Sparkle and Fade</i> 1995 studio album by Everclear

Sparkle and Fade is the second album by Everclear, released in 1995. It was their first album to be released exclusively on Capitol Records; their previous effort, World of Noise, was re-released on Capitol after its introduction through the Portland, Oregon based label, Tim/Kerr Records. The album produced the singles "Heroin Girl," "Santa Monica," "Heartspark Dollarsign," and "You Make Me Feel Like a Whore." The album's music follows themes like addiction and romance through a loosely defined narrative similar to Art Alexakis' own troubled life when he was in his twenties.

<i>Slow Motion Daydream</i> 2003 studio album by Everclear

Slow Motion Daydream is the sixth studio album by Everclear. It was released in the U.S. in 2003 on Capitol Records and recorded in 2002.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Art Alexakis</span> American musician

Arthur Paul Alexakis is an American musician best known as the singer-songwriter and guitarist of the rock band Everclear. He has been a member of several other bands in addition to his own work as a songwriter for other artists. Alexakis has founded several record labels throughout his career and worked as an A&R representative for major record labels between and during his own musical projects. Later he became a political activist and lobbied for special concerns which include drug awareness policies and support for the families of the military.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sugar Ray</span> American rock band

Sugar Ray is an American rock band formed in Newport Beach, California, in 1986. Originally playing heavier funk metal and nu metal style music, the band achieved mainstream popularity in 1997 with their more pop-influenced single "Fly". The song's success led the band to shift its style dramatically to the more radio-friendly pop sound with their subsequent releases. Their best-selling album, 14:59, was released in 1999, and featured popular singles "Every Morning", "Someday", followed by a self-titled album in 2001 featuring the single "When It's Over". The band would release two further albums, In the Pursuit of Leisure (2003) and Music for Cougars (2009), though the albums and respective singles generally sold far less. The band continued to tour into the 2010s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eric Avery</span> American musician

Eric Adam Avery is an American musician. He is best known as the founding bass guitarist and co-songwriter of the alternative rock band Jane's Addiction, with whom he has recorded two studio albums. From 2005 to 2022, Avery was the touring and recording bassist for Garbage, which he joined as sideman and with whom he recorded three studio albums.

<i>World of Noise</i> 1993 studio album by Everclear

World of Noise is the debut album recorded by American rock band Everclear. It was recorded in a friend's basement for $400 with Art Alexakis on vocals/lead guitar, Craig Montoya on bass, Scott Cuthbert on drums and was released in 1993 by Tim Kerr Records.

<i>So Much for the Afterglow</i> 1997 studio album by Everclear

So Much for the Afterglow is the third studio album by American alternative rock band Everclear, released on October 7, 1997, through Capital Records. It contained the singles "Everything to Everyone", "I Will Buy You a New Life", "Father of Mine", "So Much for the Afterglow", and "One Hit Wonder". "Everything to Everyone", "I Will Buy You A New Life", and "Father of Mine" received heavy rotation on MTV's Total Request Live and launched Everclear into mainstream popularity in the late-90s. So Much for the Afterglow provided Everclear with their only Grammy nomination to date, a Best Rock Instrumental nod in 1998 for "El Distorto de Melodica." The album is considered a departure from the band's earlier punk rock and grunge sound for a more pop-oriented sound.

<i>Songs from an American Movie Vol. One: Learning How to Smile</i> 2000 studio album by Everclear

Songs from an American Movie Vol. One: Learning How to Smile is the fourth studio album by American alternative rock band Everclear, released on July 11, 2000. The album is a loose concept album inspired by lead singer Art Alexakis's second divorce. The first album is much more influenced by American pop music, especially from the 1970s, as well as being more "loving" in tone than the hard rock Good Time for a Bad Attitude. The album is dedicated to David Ridderhof and Louis Montoya.

<i>Songs from an American Movie Vol. Two: Good Time for a Bad Attitude</i> 2000 studio album by Everclear

Songs from an American Movie Vol. Two: Good Time for a Bad Attitude is the fifth studio album by Everclear, released on November 21, 2000. They recorded Vol. One and Vol. Two in the same year and released them only a few months apart. Both albums are loose concept albums inspired by Art Alexakis' second divorce. The first one is more pop-based and melodic, the second angrier with a more punk/hard rock sound. It also focuses more on the destruction of relationships in its lyrical content.

<i>Nervous & Weird</i> 1993 EP by Everclear

Nervous & Weird is an EP by American rock band Everclear, released in 1993. It was the first official release by the band. In addition to the CD, there was also a 7" release, which featured the title track on side A and "Electra Made Me Blind" on side B.

<i>White Trash Hell</i> 1997 EP by Everclear

White Trash Hell is an EP by Everclear, released on March 24, 1997. The disc is largely a collection of demos recorded with drummer Scott Cuthbert in 1994 in preparation for Sparkle and Fade, with the exception of the acoustic version of "Fire Maple Song", which features Greg Eklund on drums. The band turned over the recordings to their UK label, Fire Records, expecting them to be released sometime in 1995. However, the label stalled on releasing the EP, and it remained unissued until 1997.

<i>Ten Years Gone: The Best of Everclear 1994–2004</i> 2004 greatest hits album by Everclear

Ten Years Gone: The Best of Everclear 1994–2004 is a 'Best of' album by Everclear. It was released on October 5, 2004. It includes tracks from all of their albums up to 2003, as well as two tracks not previously released on any album. "The New Disease" was previously released on a "Volvo Driving Soccer Mom" CD single, and "Sex With a Movie Star " did not appear anywhere else.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tommy Stewart</span> American drummer

Tommy Stewart is an American drummer, currently for the rock band Lo-Pro. He is probably best known for his stint with the band Godsmack. He has also toured and recorded with a number of other bands including Detroit based metal band Halloween, glam rock band Lillian Axe, and alternative rock bands Fuel and Everclear.

Greg Eklund is an American musician/drummer. Originally, he was the drummer for Jolly Mon and quit the band after the release of their debut album. He then joined the rock band Everclear as their drummer from 1994 to 2003, the Oohlas from 2004 to 2008, and Storm Large and Le Bonheur 2009–present.

<i>Welcome to the Drama Club</i> 2006 studio album by Everclear

Welcome to the Drama Club is the seventh studio album from rock band Everclear. It was released on September 12, 2006 by Eleven Seven Music. It was the first album to include the new line-up of Everclear, established following the departure of Craig Montoya and Greg Eklund after Everclear's previous album, Slow Motion Daydream. It was also the first album since Everclear's departure from Capitol Records.

"Father of Mine" is a rock song by American rock band Everclear from their 1997 album So Much for the Afterglow. This song is autobiographical, as lead singer Art Alexakis's father left his family when he was a young boy. "Father of Mine" was the third top-five Modern Rock Tracks single from So Much for the Afterglow, peaking at number four. It also hit number 23 and 24 on the Adult Top 40 and Mainstream Top 40 charts, respectively. This song is also recorded in a radio mix, which can be heard on Ten Years Gone: The Best of Everclear 1994-2004.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Flipp</span>

Flipp is an American rock band formed in Minneapolis, Minnesota in 1994, founded by singer/guitarist/producer Brynn Arens. They were signed to Hollywood Records and later Artemis Records, releasing 3 studio albums up until their dissolution in 2003. The band were known for their MTV presence in the 1990s as well as its theatrical live show which included cartoonish personas, face paint, smoking guitar amps, jet-packs, pillow feathers, cereal, pulling unsuspecting concert goers onstage to perform with the band, and other such stunts. As of 2016, the band have reunited and remain active to this day.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Heartspark Dollarsign</span> 1996 single by Everclear

"Heartspark Dollarsign" is the third single released from American rock band Everclear's second studio album, Sparkle and Fade. Lead singer Art Alexakis wrote the song before Everclear formed, while he was in the band Colorfinger. The song was then recorded by Everclear in 1994 and included on Sparkle and Fade, which was released in May 1995. The lyrics describe an interracial relationship, something Alexakis often experienced in his youth.

<i>Sun Songs</i> 2019 studio album by Art Alexakis

Sun Songs is the 2019 debut solo album by American alternative rock musician Art Alexakis, best known for fronting Everclear. The album was released by The End Records/BMG and received positive feedback from critics.

References

  1. ↑ CMJ New Music Monthly Magazine – Sep 2000 – no. 85 – Page 44
  2. ↑ SPIN Magazine – Sep 1995 – v. 11, no. 6 – Page 34
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.