Longtime Alice Cooper guitarist Ryan Roxie is back with “Better Than You”, marking his most recent music output since contributing to Cooper‘s 2023 album “Road”.
The new single was launched together with a uniquely disturbing interview: Ryan Roxie being interviewed by his younger clone, an exact A.I. copy of himself. The complete interview was written and executed by A.I.
With “Better Than You”, Roxie takes on the digital age with satirically biting lyrics and a guitar-driven punch.
Roxie says: “This one came from the perspective of the ‘doom scroller’ — which, let’s be honest, could be all of us these days. We scroll through the night, watching everyone else live their best lives, and we get hit with suspicion, FOMO, etc… but maybe, just maybe, we realize our own lives really aren’t so bad after all. In fact, WE may be better off than what is being visually force-fed to us.”
Known for his storytelling approach to songwriting, Roxie sees music as his therapy.
“The good, the bad, the ugly — it’s all in there if you follow the lyrics,” he says. “But that’s the thing, these feelings aren’t just mine. They’re inside all of us. That’s why I tell as many people as I can to pick up an instrument and write their own songs. Plus, it’s cheaper than a therapist.”
But “Better Than You” isn’t just about the message — it’s part of a bigger release strategy that Roxie is rolling out for 2025 and 2026. Instead of the traditional album-first approach, he’s embracing a singles-first model, much like the early days of THE BEATLES and THE ROLLING STONES.
“The plan is to release songs in small batches — giving each track its own moment,” Ryan says. “We spend so much time writing, rehearsing, and recording, why not let every song have its time in the sun? Then, once we have enough, we’ll put them together as an album and celebrate them all over again.”
Roxie first joined Alice‘s band in 1996 and toured, wrote and recorded with him for much of the next ten years, including the albums “Fistful Of Alice”, “The Eyes Of Alice Cooper” and “Dirty Diamonds”, along with the live DVDs “Brutally Live” and “Live At Montreux”. After several years absence, Ryan rejoined Alice‘s band in time for the legendary rocker’s 2012 “No More Mr Nice Guy” tour.
For more on Ryan Roxie, his new music, and the All Excess Pass.
Leave a Reply