ONE ON ONE: Kevin Griffin - Collide February 10th, 2022 City Winery New York

A Special ONE ON ONE Presentation of Kevin Griffin and Michael Jerome of Better Than Ezra live at City Winery New York on February 10th, 2022. For more info visit: https://www.kevingriffinmusic.com & https://www.betterthanezra.com
Video by: Ehud Lazin

It happened at just the right time…

Three decades into an illustrious and multifaceted career, Kevin Griffin finally decided to write and record his very first full-length solo album Anywhere You Go. The Better Than Ezra frontman, award-winning songwriter, and Pilgrimage Festival co-founder has added yet another persona to his resume: solo troubadour. Buoyed by minimal production, sweeping vocal harmonies, and narrative lyricism, he’s penned some of his most intimate, inimitable, and irresistible tunes to date.

“My guiding rule was to do something different…” says Griffin from his home in Franklin, TN. “…to just do the opposite of my first instinct. I wanted to bring all the music that I’m moved by into a collection of songs that didn’t pull from my usual bag of tricks. I started with no expectations, considerations, or concessions other than just wanting to make music that I loved, and I think because of that the whole process has been a joy. I wanted to make a collection of the music that inspires me—from when I was a kid in the seventies to the songs I hear on Spotify playlists now. The title speaks to that. Sonically, the songs go in a lot of different places.”

Over the past year, Griffin started toying with ideas for the songs that would eventually comprise the record. Taking his time, he reacquainted himself with classics such as Neil Young’s Harvest and Bob Dylan’s Blood on the Tracks as well as devouring music from the likes of Dawes, Father John Misty, and Mac DeMarco, to name a few.

Holing up at his own Pink Deer Studios in Franklin, TN, he drew inspiration from sparse production, approaching both the writing and recording from a new perspective. Joined by Fred Eltringham [drums], Andrew Petrov [bass], and Ben Alleman [piano, B3], the musicians focused on capturing a sound tailormade to flourish in the live setting. As a result, songs unfolded organically with a timeless spirit and undeniable energy. Additionally, he welcomed a choir of female backing vocals on the bulk of the material—another career first and a signifier of an “individual thumbprint, joy, sense of exploration, and creative freedom,” as he calls it.

Better Than Ezra’s legacy encompasses the double-platinum 1995 classic “Deluxe” and its instantly recognizable #1 smash single “Good,” the gold-selling Friction, Baby in 1997 with “Desperately Wanting”, 2001’s Closer with “Lifetime” and ubiquitous “Extra Ordinary” and the 2005 epic Before The Robots. The latter yielded “Breathless” notably performed and recorded by Taylor Swift. That particular legacy continued in 2014 by way of All Together Now and the hit “Crazy Lucky.”

As a songwriter, the New Orleans native stands out as a five-time BMI Pop Award winner and ARIAA Award winner. Moreover, he has landed multiple number ones, including Sugarland’s “Stuck Like Glue” and Howie Day’s “Collide.” Other credits span cuts for Christina Perri, Train, The Struts, Barenaked Ladies, Blondie, James Blunt, and many more with his cumulative tally of album and song sales exceeding 30 million copies.

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