Jeffrey Everett is an unstoppable poster maker, having produced more than 400 concert posters and 200 others for cultural events. A fraction of this work, along with process drawings, is collected in Let it Bleed: Twenty Years of Poster Design, a 444-page monograph of his epic work. Included are posters designed and illustrated for an array of bands, including Social Distortion, Flogging Molly, Foo Fighters, Letters to Cleo, Idles, Flight of the Conchords, Blondie, The Gaslight Anthem, The Bouncing Souls, Lou Reed and New Found Glory. He has also worked for Red Bull, The New York Times, The Washingtonian, Variety, Universal Records, LiveNation, Dreamworks, SideOneDummy, Rise Records, Equal Vision and others.
Under the moniker Rockets are Red, Everett has spent more than two decades designing work that has been stapled on the walls of acclaimed rock clubs such as The 9:30 Club, Black Cat and The Trocadero; “inked into brave people’s skin,” he told me; “and framed in high-end galleries around the world,” such as Arch Enemy Arts in Philly, Lost Origins in DC, and Gallery 1988 in LA.
Today he talks about his enviable legacy, his favorite bands and his major influences.
How many posters have you done over the past 20 years? Are they all commissioned by the bands?
I have done over 400 concert posters and another 200+ for gallery shows, pop-culture clients, and personal pieces over the last two decades. All my poster work for bands have either been commissioned from the band, their management, or the venue hosting them.
Is it a mutual collaboration with the bands and artists?
I consider myself a designer who can kinda illustrate, and I enjoy the process of working with a band. Some bands have quite direct instructions and wants, while others have a longer list of don’ts. I enjoy working through the process and doing something that is for them—not any other band. Peter Saville said that about designing for Joy Division: You should love the music based on seeing the record cover; the art should reflect the music. A good band client realizes ultimately it is not about them, it is about the fans who are purchasing the work and hopefully hanging it on the wall (or in some cases, getting it tattooed on themselves).
I am in the quite fortunate position that I only do work for bands that I get a spark from now. I have done a lot of work in the past where I didn’t know the band, or base, well, and tried to do something cool. Now when I work with a band like The Raveonettes or Girls Against Boys, whom I have adored for decades, I am overflowing with directions and concepts and it is a matter of sorting through the pile of sketches.
You belong to a long line of concert poster artists. Who are your favorites?
Art Chantry is the immediate inspiration; I have admired him, his work and design knowledge forever. Does Edward Gorey count as a poster artist? I am a huge Gorey fan and I have multiple tattoos of his work. Off the top of my head, I have to include Frank Kozik (RIP), Methane Studios, Todd Slater, Dan McCarthy, Zoltron, Morning Breath.
Currently I am a huge fan of Alex Eckman-Lawn. I own a bunch of original pieces by him and keep pestering him for that commission. Luke Martin (Suburban Avenger) is a young talent who blows my work away. I also want to send a big amount of love to Lou Xray (GarageLand), Triple Stamp Press and Mathias Valdez (Last Leaf).
Are band posters your primary outlet?
I have a full-time gig as a designer at The National Institutes of Health. I realized years ago I want to do work that has some meaning and longevity. I worked on a lot of design for/about COVID and, yes, even won an award for my retirement poster celebrating Dr. Fauci. It is also nice [not] having to argue about $100 with a belligerent manager trying to stiff you on a contract. That said, I still do two to three posters a month for either bands or for gallery shows. I enjoy the ability to flex and let my mind wander.
Your typography is a perfect match for your drawing. At what point in the process do you decide on lettering?
It is a companion when working. I usually have it all displayed next to the artwork that I am building. I keep it in mind so the two—the design and the typography—can work together instead of around each other. There are a few typefaces I rely on for being consistently good for certain things, but most of the time I do a deep dive for the type that works.
This book marks a milestone, but I presume there are more to come?
I do this because I cannot not do it. When I travel and explore, watch new movies or read new books, attend concerts and museums, I am constantly taking reference photos, sketching out ideas and trying to stay young and curious until I die. I did work for Iggy FUCKING Pop, and Spiritual Cramp opened. They held their own against the master and I knew I had to work with them. I am already sketching out a second poster for them and can’t wait to see them playing bigger and bigger places. Like Idles, like Gaslight Anthem, like Frank Turner, I love finding bands and growing with them as they progress as artists. There are too many awesome bands out there I still want to work with, like Jeff Rosenstock and Amyl and The Sniffers, and so many more I want to keep designing with, like Bouncing Souls, Tuscadero and Velocity Girl.
