Smith/Kotzen Better Days
Adrian Smith, Ritchie Kotzen Announce New EP ‘Better Days’
To Be Released November 26, Record Store Day
Share New Video “Better Days”
Adrian Smith and Richie Kotzen, Smith/Kotzen return with four previously unreleased songs on Better Days, out November 26 on Record Store Day. A global limited edition 12” black vinyl release with four previously unreleased tracks by Smith/Kotzen on November 26th in conjunction with international Record Store Day’s Black Friday event. The Better Days EP reflects the ongoing strength of the dynamic writing & recording partnership between these two world-class musicians, following their eponymous debut album released in March 2021 to media and fan acclaim, charting in the Top 20 in markets such as UK, Germany, U.S. and Canada; a tremendous accomplishment for an inaugural collaboration project.
Better Days continues this trajectory with its huge hooks and driving riffs, coupled with the pair’s now-traditional vocal trade-offs building to crescendo with its soaring, unforgettable chorus.
Watch “Better Days”
The full track listing is:
Better Days
Got A Hold On Me
Hate And Love
Rise Again
The final two songs on the EP were recorded at Windermere on Turks & Caicos Islands in March 2020. “Better Days” and “Got A Hold On Me” followed at The House recording studio in Los Angeles in April 2021 when Smith/Kotzen were finally able to reconvene after lockdown and to shoot an accompanying video for the title track. As with the Smith/Kotzen album, the EP was produced by Richie and Adrian, and mixed by Kevin Shirley.
Richie comments “When Adrian came over to L.A. earlier this year, we got together and started throwing ideas around and we very quickly came up with the new songs. ‘Better Days’ almost seemed to write itself. It’s got a nice groove to it. Adrian came in with the riff and we came up with a melody for the chorus together, pretty much working to the same formula we used when writing the S/K album, bouncing ideas off each other.”
Adrian adds “’Better Days’ is a song I’m really excited about. I think its slightly different to the songs on the S/K album – it’s kind of heavy but melodic. I’d played Richie the riff and I was looking for a reaction, and I got one! Kind of like the old grey whistle test scenario – there was a spark and we started building the song from there. I’d have an idea, then Richie would have an idea and we’d go back and forth, like building blocks.”
Better Days is a Record Store Day Black Friday title and will be available to download at https://Smith-Kotzen.lnk.to/BetterDaysEPPR on November 26th.
The “Better Days” video was filmed at Mates studio in Los Angeles and was directed by Jeff Wolfe, who successfully combined an action career onscreen with an award-winning director’s role behind camera.
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