Better Than Ezra

Formed in New Orleans in the late 1980s, the American band Better Than Ezra emerged from the college-driven alternative rock wave, built around Kevin Griffin’s voice and songwriting and Tom Drummond’s bass. Better Than Ezra first made its mark on the local and college circuit with a sound that blended melodic guitars, post-grunge energy, and power-pop-leaning choruses, before releasing a self-produced debut album, “Surprise,” in 1990. The group reached a wider audience with “Deluxe,” issued independently in 1993 and reissued in 1995, which established Better Than Ezra on the North American rock circuit. They followed with “Friction, Baby” in 1996 and “How Does Your Garden Grow?” in 1998, where their songwriting opened up to more atmospheric textures and more elaborate arrangements. The albums “Closer” (2001), “Before the Robots” (2005), and “Paper Empire” (2009) confirmed a shift toward a brighter pop-rock direction, while “All Together Now” (2014) extended that vein with songs centered on vocal harmonies. Regularly active on the road, Better Than Ezra alternates club tours, festival stages, and acoustic formats, while Kevin Griffin in parallel develops a songwriting career for other artists.