It has been ten long years since Better Than Ezra released their last full-length album All Together Now. Today, the band announced their forthcoming tenth studio album Super Magick. Along with the exciting announcement, they released the feel-good track “Live a Little.” Check it out below.
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Super Magick hits streaming services and record store shelves on May 3. Previously released tracks “Contact High” and “Mystified” will be included in the tracklist. Fans can pre-order a copy of the album today.
[RELATED: Better Than Ezra Go Back to Basics with “Mystified” [Exclusive Premiere]]
Earlier this week, Better Than Ezra frontman Kevin Griffin sat down with American Songwriter to discuss Super Magick. During the discussion, he revealed why it took a decade to make and the deep meaning behind the album’s cover art. He also talked about the new single “Live a Little.”
Why It Took Better Than Ezra 10 Years to Make Super Magick
They say good things come to those who wait. Fans of Better Than Ezra know how true that statement can be. The band regularly leaves a few years between releases. Griffin told American Songwriter why they took a little extra time with Super Magick.
“We do so much,” he said of his bandmates. “I do Better Than Ezra and I do solo stuff and I’ve got my hand in a lot of different things. The other members do, too. We’re always touring,” he added.
Griffin went on to say that there was a time when they were all focused solely on Better Than Ezra. At that time, they felt pressure to regularly crank out new music. That time has passed, though. Now, they can release music at their own pace which allows them to take as long as they need to make a good record.
“When we take a long time making an album, it ends up reflecting all the different things we’ve been into, different stages in our lives, and music that’s influencing us,” Griffin says. “Our best albums have been the ones that took a little while.”
Kevin Griffin on the Super Magick Album Art
The album art for Super Magick stands out among Better Than Ezra’s discography. It’s a white esoteric symbol on a black background. Griffin revealed the meaning behind the symbol to American Songwriter. They drew inspiration from author Paulo Coelho and occult practitioner and member of the falsely imprisoned West Memphis Three, Damien Echols for the design.
“One of my favorite books is The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho,” Griffin said. “When I read a book and I get into something, I really get into it,” he added. An alchemist, he noted, was an ancient version of a chemist. The main goal of alchemy was to transform worthless rocks and base metals into gold. “That album cover is an alchemist’s sigil,” he explained. Griffin added that around the time they were working on the album art, he started following Echols on social media. His use of sigils and occult practices caught his eye and attention.
Griffin went on to say that the sigil represents the Earth element. They also transformed the sigil, adding meaningful things to it to make it personal. “There’s words written in Theban which is a magical language. … There’s some things hidden in this language that have to do with the album and the songs and stuff,” he said. Additionally, they added some elements to the symbol to represent the band’s hometown, New Orleans, Louisiana. “We added NOLA, we added our band name, song titles, and the Fleur-de-lis. So, it’s basically a New Orleans-based alchemist’s sigil.”
“If you’re around long enough and you’re not completely blind, you’ll see magic all around you and things happening for a reason,” Griffin said. “That’s what the song ‘Super Magick’ is about. It’s about love and chemistry and connection and all these things that defy an analytical cause-and-effect explanation. The cover was our attempt at visually showing Super Magick.”
Griffin on Better Than Ezra’s New Single “Live a Little”
Griffin calls Better Than Ezra’s new single “Live a Little” a call to arms. “Nothing is a given and every day is a gift. Every time you wake up there’s a lot of people who don’t,” he said. “In the history of all the people on this planet, we get to have this little amazing moment when we’re alive. So, you may as well take advantage of it,” he added.
Of the song, Griffin said, “It’s an unabashed super up-tempo carpe diem kind of thing. There’s no secret message in the song. It’s about seizing the day and having fun and making the most of it while you’re here.”
Featured Image by Robby Klein
