Veterans of the college rock scene of the late 1980s, Better Than Ezra received their big break during the alt-rock explosion of the ’90s — a fitting scenario, as the New Orleans group melds the tunefulness of ’80s jangle pop with the muscle of grunge. This fusion brought Better Than Ezra to the top of the modern rock charts in 1995 when ‘Good’ became a post-grunge staple. A handful of other hits — ‘In the Blood,’ also from their major-label debut Deluxe, plus ‘King of New Orleans’ and ‘Desperately Wanting’ from their second, Friction, Baby — appeared before the group transitioned from major label to independent status early in the 2000s. Better Than Ezra spent the next decades regularly touring and recording, occasionally shining the spotlight on their ’90s work but keeping their focus on new albums such as 2024’s Super Magick.
Originally formed in 1988 as a roots rock outfit with slight elements of country and punk, the group’s first incarnation consisted of four college students from Louisiana State University: Kevin Griffin (vocals, guitar), Joel Rundell (guitar), Tom Drummond (bass), and Cary Bonnecaze (drums). The band’s early performances were expectedly held at college bars and fraternity houses, and their debut cassette-tape recording, 1990’s Surprise, received positive press and comparisons to such alt-punk stalwarts as the Replacements and Dinosaur Jr. Despite these accolades, Better Than Ezra’s future was thrust into doubt when Rundell died by suicide on August 8, 1990.
The remaining bandmates initially opted to go their separate ways after Rundell’s passing, but they reunited as a trio before the end of the year. Deciding that a change of scenery would be helpful, Better Than Ezra relocated to Los Angeles shortly thereafter, where they laid down tracks at a friend’s home studio to create their 1993 independent release, Deluxe. The album continued to raise the band’s profile and eventually drew the attention of several major labels. The trio signed with Elektra Records, and Better Than Ezra’s new label reissued Deluxe two years after its original release. The album spawned their biggest international radio hit with ‘Good,’ which helped push the album to platinum status by the end of 1995. But despite enjoying a hit right off the bat, Bonnecaze opted to leave the group in early 1996 and was replaced by a fellow New Orleans native (who, at the time, was living in San Francisco), Travis McNabb.