Better Than Ezra announces 'Contact High,' latest offering from forthcoming new LP

On the heels of releasing this summer’s instant-classic, “Mystified,” alt-rock icons Better Than Ezra (BTE)’s first new single since 2018, the perennial rock outfit now returns Nov. 3 with “Contact High,” the latest hint of the band’s forthcoming, highly anticipated 10th studio album (Round Hill Records).

Recorded at Tennessee’s Pink Deer Studio and written and produced by BTE singer-guitarist Kevin Griffin, alongside Emery Dobyns, the country-leaning jam, which recalls some of The Rolling Stones’ most twangy and effortlessly charming efforts, is set in the southern California desert and references a rowdy evening at the legendary Pioneertown bar, Pappy and Harriet’s.

“You make a dead man grab his heart/I gotta contact high,” Griffin sings with a wry wink.

“Contact High,” which Griffin describes as “about that buzz you get when around that person you can’t be without,” arrives right on time – the day after their fall tour opener. Having recently wrapped up their momentous summer tour, Better Than Ezra are now gearing up for a massive end of the year with their “Return Of Legends Of The Fall 2023 Tour,” which kicks off on Nov. 2 at Keswick Theatre in Glenside, Pennsylvania. Up next, BTE will stop at New Orleans’ Ochstoberfest Benefit Concert (Oct. 27) and Thibodaux’s Acadia Music Fest (Oct. 28).

For all Better Than Ezra touring details and to purchase tickets, click here.

Since forming in 1988 at Louisiana State University, Better Than Ezra (which includes Griffin – vocals, guitar, keyboards; Tom Drummond – bass guitar; Michael Jerome Moore – percussion; and James “Jim” Arthur Payne Jr. – guitar, keyboards) have been on a rocket ride through the rock world, definitively making their presence felt at every turn. The band exists in rare air among its peers, having occupied spots on Billboard’s “100 Greatest Alternative Songs of All Time” and “100 Greatest Alternative Artists of All Time.” Better Than Ezra was a prominent fixture on radio and MTV in the ’90s and early 2000s, thanks in large part to the monumental success of their cherished 1993 independent album, “Deluxe,” which included standout fan-favorite “Good,” a multi-Platinum-selling No. 1 hit on the Hot Modern Rock Tracks Chart.

More About Better Than Ezra

Songs, albums, live performances — some are simply timeless. From their early roots, circa 1988, playing house parties at Louisiana State University, Better Than Ezra have made their mark on the music world in a major way. Yes, the New Orleans quartet, founded by Griffin and Drummond, unleashes hummable melodies, unshakable guitar riffs, and confessional lyrics. BTE has stood the test of time – from 1995’s No. 1 hit “Good” all the way to Taylor Swift’s famous 2010 cover of the Better Than Ezra classic “Breathless.” And they’re still going strong: The alt-rock icons are headlining monumental live shows all year long.

Named one of the “100 Greatest Alternative Artists of All Time” by Billboard – and even inspiring a classic “Saturday Night Live” skit – Better Than Ezra are currently in the studio working on new music for their forthcoming, highly anticipated 10th studio album, set to be released via Round Hill Records.

Keep up with Better Than Ezra: website | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter | YouTube