Better Than Ezra
Better Than Ezra is an American alternative rock band based in New Orleans, Louisiana, and signed with The End Records.[4] The band formed in 1988 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and consists of Kevin Griffin (vocals and guitar), Tom Drummond (bass guitar), Michael Jerome (drums), and James Arthur Payne Jr. (guitar, keyboards). The band has released eight studio albums, most recently 2014's All Together Now. They are best known for their 1993 multi-platinum album Deluxe and the 1995 single "Good," which reached number 1 on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart.
Better Than Ezra
Baton Rouge, Louisiana, U.S.
1988–present
- Kevin Griffin
- Tom Drummond
- James Arthur Payne Jr.
- Michael Jerome
- Joel Rundell
- Cary Bonnecaze
- Travis McNabb
History[edit]
Formation and early success[edit]
Better Than Ezra was formed in 1988[5] by vocalist and guitarist Kevin Griffin, lead guitarist Joel Rundell, bassist Tom Drummond, and drummer Cary Bonnecaze.[5] All four members were attending Louisiana State University at the time of Better Than Ezra's formation.[5] Better Than Ezra's first public performance was at Murphy's in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, also in 1988.[6] Though many theories abound, the band refuses to disclose the origin of its name.[6] Fans of the group often refer to themselves as Ezralites.
Better Than Ezra circulated a demo cassette tape later in 1988, the Chime Street Demo. While not an official release, this demo is sought-after by the band's fans, and traded by collectors. In 1990 the band released a cassette-only album, Surprise.[7]
Joel Rundell, the band's lead guitarist, died by suicide on August 8, 1990.[5] The remaining three members of the band took some time off to reassess its future following Rundell's death.[5] However, Griffin, Drummond and Bonnecaze reunited Better Than Ezra as a trio by the end of 1990.[5] The trio continued playing house parties and fraternity shows across southern United States during the early 1990s.
The band released its first nationally distributed album Deluxe in 1993 on its own indie label,[8] Swell Records, which caught the attention of major record labels and radio. Better Than Ezra signed with Elektra Records in 1995.[8] Elektra Records rereleased Deluxe in 1995, and the single, "Good", reached the No. 1 position on the Hot Modern Rock Tracks chart which helped push the album to platinum record status by the end of 1995.[9]
Success came quickly to Better Than Ezra. Tom Drummond commented later in a 1998 interview with CNN, "It took us seven years to get signed, and then seven weeks to get to No. 1" when describing the overnight success of Deluxe and its single "Good."[8]
1996–2000[edit]
After Deluxe's major label release, original drummer Cary Bonnecaze left the band in 1996.[5] He was replaced by drummer Travis McNabb,[5] formerly of the band Vigilantes of Love, who was tapped to play on the band's upcoming album, Friction, Baby.[7] Bonnecaze's departure set off a series of lawsuits and counter-suits between Bonnecaze and Better Than Ezra.[8] Bonnecaze, who took his suit to the United States District Court in New Orleans, argued that the band owed him money "based on his role in fortifying the band's reputation," according to Rolling Stone.[10] He asked for approximately $1 million in damages.[10] A settlement was reached between the band and Bonnecaze on August 5, 1999.[10] The exact terms of the settlement were not released at the time, though Better Than Ezra's manager John Isbell was quoted as saying that Bonnecaze received "way less" than the one million dollars he had originally requested.[10]
Better Than Ezra released their second major label album, Friction, Baby, in 1996 through Elektra Records.[7] The album produced the hits "Desperately Wanting" and "King of New Orleans". Friction, Baby was not as commercially successful as Deluxe, but has sold almost 500,000 units as of 1999.[8]
The trio began work on their third major release, How Does Your Garden Grow?, soon after the end of touring for Friction, Baby. The album was recorded between mid-January and late-April at a studio in New Orleans.[11] The album was produced by record producer Malcolm Burn, who had formerly produced Iggy Pop and U2,[12] and released on August 25, 1998.[11] The album was described as "experimental" and a significant departure from their previous two albums.[8] Griffin described the album in 1998 as "guitar driven ... rhythmic."[11] Likewise, Tom Drummond described the band's thinking on its third major album, "We thought the third album was a very important record, because generally a band either makes or breaks on the third record. We wanted it to be a record that didn't necessarily sound like what people expected."[8] Despite the emphasis on guitar experimentation, two tracks, "One More Murder" and "Je ne m'en souviens pas" contain no guitars.[11]
The single "At the Stars" debuted, and peaked, at number 78 on the Billboard Hot 100.[8] The band was dropped by Elektra Records following the release of How Does Your Garden Grow? in 1999.[13]
Studio albums
