News4U Online

After Tripodder.com's podcast with Better Than Ezra Bass guitarist Tommy Drummond, I decided to catch up with the band that has produced some of the finest American rock music of the past decade. After playing for a crowd of nearly 25 thousand in St. Louis, Better than Ezra sat down with myself and Tripodder.com photographer Tasha Goben to discuss the touring, singles, and also shared a few cocktail recipes with us.

Tom Fischer: You really do bring quite a momentum to every show I've been to.

Tommy D: We try to build a setlist that makes sense for a live show.

Travis McNabb: With any live performance, the thing that is different is that space and those people. As the night moves along, you get a sense of what their mood is and how they react to what you're doing, and that helps build momentum

(Jim Payne enters the room, unaware that our interview is taking place.)

Tommy D: No no, is that Jim Payne? Jim Payne, would you please make a cameo here? Come on and sit down in here.

Jim has a confused look. (While not an official member of BTE, Jim tours with the band, fills in vocal, keyboard, guitar, and harmonica and is a fan favorite)
 
Tommy D: Jim what did you say to me before the show?

Jim: I don't worry about the wasps, because I know you're gonna sting 'em. 

Tommy D: Jim dresses us all. He's a spiritual guider.

Travis: Jim uses a ruler and it hurts.

Everyone laughs

Tom Fischer: We are sitting in front of several beer bottles and vodka here. Do you guys have a drink of choice?

Travis McNabb: We don't have a particular favorite (Travis holds a bottle of Kettle One Vodka up for the camera). We don't specify which particular vodka we get on a rider.

Tommy D: Part of our pre-game is that I come into the bus, where our bar is set up. There is a certain drink we have before go on stage.

Jim Payne: It’s moonshine.

Tommy D: The show is not as good without it. 

Travis: Tom was in a former life a bartender, he makes the best drinks. 
 
Tommy D: For my 37th birthday last week, I was making up shots…which was probably a bad idea. I came up with a great shot. It's called "A Bunch of Strippers." It has a little bit of Peppermint Schnapps, Sweet and Sour, and Malibu Rum. It sounds nasty, but it's really good.

 
Tom Fischer: Speaking of really good, you all are one of my favorite bands. How do you keep putting forward original material and still staying true to your sound?
 
Travis: The key for us is that we let whatever other music we're listening when writing an album, we go ahead and influence what we're doing. We believe there is a certain sound that will come out with these people playing together. Instead of concerning overly concerning ourselves with, 'Oh that doesn't sound like a Better than Ezra song,' well, you could say that about “Juicy.”

Tommy D: Juicy is a perfect example, because believe it or not, it's the first song we decided to work up for the new album. I think because we all just loved it. Kevin brought it in, and we were like, ' wow that's really cool.' It sounded very different. Being around 11 years - really we've been around 20 years, you can't be afraid to not sound like who you are supposed to sound like. We've always had these kinds of oddball songs on other records, but they just haven't been a single.

Travis: The television show Desperate Housewives decided they liked and started using it. So that is the kind of thing that helped break us out of what is typical for Better Than Ezra and gave us a chance to pursue something different.

Tommy D: You go with the muse.

Tom Fischer: What was the Muse for “Juicy?”