"From the beginning, college audiences have been key to Everclear--their support helped us break through--and it's important for us to keep that connection going with the new college crowds," Alexakis said in a statement. "They have a certain infectious energy we thrive on."

Before tackling the college run, the new-look group will play at a handful of early September festivals and in-store appearances, and will mark the Sept. 12 release of "Welcome to the Drama Club" with a release-day show at New York City's Irving Plaza.

Following the college outing, Everclear plans to mount a larger tour that will launch in early November and run until early December, according to a recent blog entry from Alexakis.

"Welcome to the Drama Club" marks the recorded debut of the current Everclear lineup, which Alexakis fashioned after his 2003 solo-acoustic tour, replacing longtime members Craig Montoya and Greg Eklund with bassist Sam Hudson, guitarist Dave French, drummer Brett Snyder and keyboardist Josh Crawley.

Produced by Alexakis, "Welcome to the Drama Club" features the single "Hater."

"Some people write love songs, some people write happy songs but I've written what I think is the ultimate 'break up' song," Alexakis said of the track.

In addition to his musical pursuits, Alexakis has a lead role in the recently released short film "Room to Breathe."

"It's a short film that was made by a good friend of mine, Steve Johnson," Alexakis wrote in a posting at Everclear's MySpace page, which features a streaming version of the entire 12-plus-minute flick. "He asked me to be in it, and when I read the script, I couldn't say no. He and everyone who worked on it did such an awesome job.

"I don't want to pursue acting, per se, but, if it's a great script with cool people, then it's fun for me."