When I interviewed Better Than Ezra singer/songwriter/guitarist Kevin Griffin earlier this month, I asked him whether the group's next album - originally conceived as a late-2012 release - had been pushed to next year to mark the band's quarter-century milestone.
"I had no idea that next year will be the 25th anniversary," he said. "Oh my God."
He recovered quickly, though:"This is the 25th-anniversary release, which will ... be our swan song."
He was kidding about Ezra's retirement, saying that "it just felt like the thing to say." And the band certainly shows no signs of quitting at 25 years. The trio is one of the headliners at this year's River Roots Live festival, it continues to regularly produce new music that connects with fans, and Griffin has built a second career writing songs for other artists (including Sugarland, James Blunt, Train, and Debbie Harry) that keeps him busy when Ezra isn't.
