On the latest episode of Basic Folk, frontman Ryan Miller joins us to talk about all things Guster. From their tried and true collaborative writing process to the theatrical delights of their recent “We Also Have Eras” tour, to what it really looks like to make environmental sustainability a priority on tour.
Guster has just released their 9th studio album, Ooh La La. As we talked about the new record, Ryan shared how these new songs touch on questions that the band has been asking throughout their over 30-year career. For example, ”Maybe We’re Alright” calls back to the collectivist spirit that we loved in 2003’s Keep It Together. ”Gaugin, Cezanne (Everlasting Love)” talks about God in a way that brought up new questions for me about 2010’s album, Easy, Wonderful. This is what makes being a Guster fan so rewarding. The longer you listen to these guys and the deeper you dig, the more you feel empowered to ask questions about the world around you and approach the answers with playfulness. Guster is a band, but it is also a place where we all meet to dance away the big questions with whimsy to the beat of tasteful hand drums.
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It is no exaggeration to say that co-host Lizzie No has waited over 20 years to talk to Ryan. They became a fan of the New England indie outfit in 2003 when the group opened for John Mayer at the West Point Military Academy, of all places. The vibe in the room was a little stiff, but Guster was anything but. Their exuberant, generous, harmony filled, idiosyncratic performance blew her teenage mind. As Lizzie dug deeper into their lore, they discovered that they were a part of a vast network of weirdos: The Guster fandom.
Photo Credit: Alysse Gafkjen
