Better Than Ezra

Having established themselves amid the college rock circuit toward the close of the 1980s, Better Than Ezra secured their breakthrough opportunity amid the alternative rock surge of the 1990s, an apt development given the New Orleans ensemble's fusion of melodic '80s jangle pop with grunge's force. That combination elevated the band to the summit of modern rock airplay in 1995 as "Good" emerged as a post-grunge mainstay. Further successes followed in the form of "In the Blood" from the major-label debut Deluxe together with "King of New Orleans" and "Desperately Wanting" from the sophomore effort Friction, Baby before the act moved from major-label affiliation to independent status early in the 2000s. Across the ensuing decades Better Than Ezra sustained regular touring and recording activity, periodically revisiting selections from their '90s catalog while directing primary attention toward fresh projects such as the 2024 album Super Magick.

The group originated in 1988 as a roots rock unit carrying modest country and punk inflections, with its initial lineup comprising four Louisiana State University students: Kevin Griffin (vocals, guitar), Joel Rundell (guitar), Tom Drummond (bass), and Cary Bonnecaze (drums). Early shows naturally took place at college bars and fraternity houses, and the debut cassette release, 1990's Surprise, garnered favorable notices alongside comparisons to alt-punk fixtures such as the Replacements and Dinosaur Jr. Those commendations notwithstanding, Better Than Ezra's trajectory faced uncertainty following Rundell's suicide on August 8, 1990.

After Rundell's death the surviving members initially pursued separate paths, yet they reconvened as a trio before year's end. Seeking a fresh environment, Better Than Ezra shifted to Los Angeles soon afterward and captured material at a friend's home studio for the 1993 independent album Deluxe. That recording further elevated the band's visibility and ultimately attracted interest from multiple major labels. The trio inked a deal with Elektra Records, prompting the label to reissue Deluxe two years after its initial appearance. The set yielded the band's largest international radio success with "Good," which drove the album to platinum certification by the close of 1995. Even after securing an immediate hit, Bonnecaze departed the lineup in early 1996 and was succeeded by New Orleans native Travis McNabb, who was then based in San Francisco.

With the new member integrated, the updated Better Than Ezra entered the studio to craft the second major-label outing, 1996's Friction, Baby. Although musically akin to its predecessor, the album did not replicate Deluxe's commercial performance and exited the charts swiftly, as the singles "Desperately Wanting" and "King of New Orleans" received only limited modern rock rotation. The band subsequently constructed its own facility in New Orleans, dubbed Fudge Studios, where it recorded 1998's How Does Your Garden Grow? That release failed to restore commercial momentum, leading Better Than Ezra to exit Elektra prior to issuing the rarities compilation Artifakt via the band's official site.

Resilient, the trio aligned with the independent Beyond Music imprint and delivered the next album, Closer, in 2001. "Extra Ordinary" performed solidly across multiple charts, yet Beyond Music filed for bankruptcy before a second single could be released. Better Than Ezra consequently paused before returning in 2004 with a live document of a hometown performance at the House of Blues. A greatest-hits anthology followed the next year, yet the devoted fan base known as the Ezralites soon received further material. After signing with New York-based Artemis Records, the band issued Before the Robots in May 2005 and embarked on an extended summer tour. Drummer Travis McNabb exited four years later to join the country duo Sugarland, prompting Better Than Ezra to enlist Michael Jerome as his replacement ahead of unveiling the seventh album, Paper Empire, in 2009.

Because Griffin resolved to issue additional Better Than Ezra recordings only when convinced they would constitute essential contributions to the catalog, a hiatus followed. Throughout that interval he remained active in music yet focused on songwriting for other artists including James Blunt, Barenaked Ladies, and Sugarland. Subsequent sessions with Grammy-nominated producer Tony Hoffer, previously associated with Beck and Belle and Sebastian among others, led Better Than Ezra to announce an eighth studio album slated for September 2014 titled All Together Now. The Tony Hoffer-produced collection, the band's highest-charting effort since the 1993 breakthrough Deluxe, featured the singles "Crazy Lucky" and "Gonna Get Better."

In 2018 the band marked the 25th anniversary of its debut with the single "Grateful" and a vinyl-only reissue of Deluxe. Better Than Ezra observed the 25th anniversary of Friction, Baby by performing the full album across a pair of August 2021 concerts at the House of Blues New Orleans and later that year presented Closer in its entirety. Following 2022 touring activity, the group entered the studio for its ninth album, which appeared on Round Hill Records in May 2024 as Super Magick.