Smith/Kotzen, the duo comprised of Iron Maiden guitarist Adrian Smith and blues icon Richie Kotzen (The Winery Dogs, ex-Mr. Big), have just unveiled the Better Days EP and a music video for the title track.

The four-track EP will be released on Nov. 26 in conjunction with Record Store Day's 'Black Friday' event and comes on the heels of the group's self-titled debut album which came out earlier this year, led by the tracks "Taking My Chances," "Scars," "Running" and "Solar Fire."

The first two songs, "Better Days" and "Got a Hold of Me" were written in April earlier this year as the two seized the opportunity to reconvene at The House recording studio in Los Angeles, while the final two tracks on the EP were recorded at Windermere on Turks and Caicos Islands, where the guitarists wrote and recorded the debut record last year.

"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," began Kotzen, "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."

Smith offered, "'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."

The song is a lumbering dose of rock might and blues swagger on which Smith and Kotzen employ vocal tradeoffs to further shade the dynamic elements and, of course, there's some screaming solos present too.

Listen to "Better Days" below and view the EP artwork and track listing further down the page. Look for the physical releases at independent record stores on Nov. 26.

Smith/Kotzen, "Better Days" Lyrics

Shadows around me, all around me
Blood moon is burning, trying to blind me
Why you wanna blind me?
What's going on, what's going on?

Oh oh why, here I stay
How I long for yesterday
Slow my mind, feel my pain
I still wait for better days
Oh better days

Well, north star is shining, trying to blind me
Blood moon is burning, won’t you guide me
What’s going on, what’s going on?

Oh oh why, here I stay
How I long for yesterday
Slow my mind, feel my pain
I still wait for better days

Oh oh why, here I stay
How I long for yesterday
Slow my mind, feel my pain
I still wait for better days

Smith/Kotzen, "Better Days" Music Video

Smith/Kotzen, Better Days EP Artwork + Track Listing

Smith/Kotzen, 'Better Days' EP
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01. "Better Days"
02. "Got A Hold On Me"
03. "Hate And Love"
04. "Rise Again"

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