Californian alternative rockers the Eels arrive in Australia later this month for their fifth Australian tour since 2000. And with frontman Mark Oliver Everett – better known as E – releasing an autobiography and the band releasing a best-of compilation, FasterLouder’s Shane Worrell discovers that there is no better time than now to meet the Eels.

The Eels have always occupied an interesting place in the alternative music scene: not quite grunge, not quite rock, not quite cool and certainly not emo. But always emotive, original, quirky and powerful.

Since releasing their debut album Beautiful Freak in 1996, which strangely rode the wave of the music world’s infatuation with post-grunge, and spawned the surprise hits Susan’s House and Novocaine for the Soul, the band has carved out a not-insignificant niche and released five more critically acclaimed, and very diverse, studio albums.

And after 12 years, the Eels remain a phenomenon; they might be the kind of band that your parents somehow stumbled upon and fell in love with. But they might also have slipped under the musical radar of those that stridently follow alternative music and who claim to be up on all the latest indie bands. Some of their tracks have even appeared on the soundtracks from movies like Shrek and The Grinch.

Evidently, the Eels seem to exist in a different world, unaffected by the latest trends in music and disinterested by how things should be done. And it is this abandon that has allowed them to endure change after change in popular music and remain as poignant as ever.

While the commercial success of the Eels has long gone, the band still enjoys a cult following, especially in Western Europe. They recently released Meet the Eels, a collection of their more accessible songs, to attract new fans and encourage the casual Eels listener to delve a little deeper into E’s world. Furthermore, the Eels have released an epic double-disc collection of b-sides and rarities, entitled Useless Trinkets.

‘‘There are probably a lot of people out there who might have heard one or two of our songs over the years and might want to explore more. Useless Trinkets, which is made up rarities and b-sides however, is more for the obsessive fans,’’ E jokes.

E is the only original member of the Eels left standing. Some would argue that the band is simply his own solo project, with a revolving door of musicians to complement his very personal, expressive songwriting.

But, according to E, it is this diversity that has allowed the Eels to continue to create innovative and interesting music. “Playing with so many musicians has allowed me to expand my music. With a lot of bands, I imagine it is always the same four minds in a room trying to do something new. It gives me a lot of freedom.’’

This diversity if reflected on the songs on Meet the Eels and is the perfect way to get to know a band that has been doing some amazing, and quite varied, stuff for more than 12 years now. And if you want to delve even further into the world of the man behind the music, you might also like to get your hands on a copy of E’s autobiography Things the Grandchildren Should Know.

E’s life has been well documented publicly, due to the tough times and heartache he has endured along the way. As a 19-year-old in 1982 E found his father – controversial and often misunderstood Quantum Physicist Hugh Everett III – dead in his bed. With his father’s passing went the opportunity for E to ever get to really know a man that was a mystery to him throughout his childhood. In 1996, his sister Elizabeth committed suicide and not long after his mother died of cancer.

As a way of dealing with his grief, E channelled his pain into the critically acclaimed Electro-Shock Blues album of 1998, which many claim to be the Eels’ finest hour. But one wonders why such an honest songwriter needs to tell his story in book form rather than in 12 more four minute songs.

‘’Some of my music is very personal, but half of it is not to do with me at all,’’ E explains. ‘’And a friend of mine has periodically urged me to write about my childhood and my experiences for a while now.’’

For someone with such a talent for expressing his innermost thoughts through song, writing a 250 page book about his life was anything but easy, E says. ‘’It was excruciating. When I was done, it felt like a great weight off my shoulders. It was good to work through all of those tumultuous times. I recommend it to any one. Writing a book that is. I also recommend this book to everyone,’’ he jokes.

A criticism of the Eels music over their career has been the downcast lyrics and depressing themes dealt with in E’s songs. And while some might shudder at the thought of reading an entire book written by someone who writes songs called Suicide Life and Going to Your Funeral, E says the book is not all doom and gloom.

‘’Many people are surprised at how positive I am. I refuse to be bitter when there have been so many bright spots in my life.’’ And, as E explains, the 44-year-old hasn’t always been in a successful rock band. ‘’I was always a musician, but it wasn’t until my early twenties that I realised I could actually make something out of it. Even with my first album (a solo venture entitled A Man Called E in 1992), I was just scraping by.’’

‘’I hope it can serve as inspiration to any clueless, directionless kid out there,’’ he says. ‘’I wanted to say that as a clueless and directionless kid you can make something out of your life.’’

The Eels live shows have a reputation as being anything but normal. In four tours since the release of the band’s third album Daisies of the Galaxy in 2000, the Eels have toured with a string quartet, a brass band and a mysterious musician named MC Honky, which was later revealed to be E himself. When they toured in 2006, the Eels had transformed into a dirty garage band – and noticeably missing was E’s customary piano. The band entertained its audiences by generously distributing whipped cream to a stunned front row.

So what to expect this time? According to E, that is anyone’s guess, and is perhaps a question that shouldn’t be asked. ‘’I find it better if you don’t come to expect anything.’’

The Eels will leave a lasting impression on you whether you go to a live show, buy Meet the Eels, or Useless Trinkets, or even read E’s autobiography. And while E’s writing expedition took him away from penning a new Eels album, music is still something that remains a huge part of his life.

‘’I’ll keep making music as I always do, but I don’t plan to release anything else right now. I’m good at recording music, I’m not so good at releasing it.’’

Eels play The Tivoli Theatre in Brisbane on Thursday April 24, Melbourne’s Palais on Saturday April 26, and Sydney’s Enmore Theatre on Sunday April 27.

Mark Oliver Everett’s autobiography Things the Grandchildren Should Know is available through Little, Brown for $25.