Photo Credit: Alysse Gafkje
On Thursday, Feb. 28, Guster surprised fans with the announcement of Ooh La La, the band’s long-awaited ninth studio album. Set for release on May 17 via Ocho Mule records, this will be the band’s first full-length studio offering in five years, following 2019’s acclaimed Look Alive. The group offers a glimpse into the forthcoming project with lead singles “Keep Going” and “All Day,” delivered alongside matching music and lyric videos for their lead singles. Fanning the flames of anticipation even further, the band has also unveiled the coyly titled We Also Have Eras Tour, which comprises 20 appearances across the country.
On Ooh La La, Guster directs its seasoned perspective to the turmoil of its present setting with the same keen observation and insight that has always made the group so distinctive. Honed in over 30 years of performance, this critical lens elevates the 10-track project by turning up the beauty, inspiration and hope that resides in the slightest traces of the everyday, in large part as a vessel for the band’s own contextual deliberations. “Most of these songs were written against the backdrop of what felt like an apocalypse,” shares lead vocalist Ryan Miller. “It was such a transformative time, and we were dealing with a lot of existential questions about what it means to be a father, a husband, a creative person in the midst of all the chaos.”
The album’s preview tracks testify to the band’s arrival at an emotional accord. “Keep Going” gleams like the light at the end of the tunnel, complete with resonant harmonies and hazy, warm guitar tones. “One thing we’ve continually done as a band is acknowledge what’s going on in our world but still bring some positivity to the music,” adds guitarist/vocalist Adam Gardner. “We’re always going to be real about what’s happening, but we still want to leave people with a feeling of hope.” To that end, the band tapped producer Josh Kaufman–known for work with The National and as a member of Bonny Light Horseman–to support a left turn in its sound, embracing newfound richness in expansive arrangements to imbue the offering with an indelible warmth and lightness. Additional production was provided by Ron Aniello and Rich Costey.
Supporting the LP announcement, Guster’s We Also Have Eras Tour will at once tout the new material preceding its release and celebrate the group’s prolific three-decade catalog. Kicking off on March 7 at Austin, Texas’ ACL Live at The Moody Theater, the band will make 20 stops in the South, Midwest, and Northeast, culminating in a hometown show at Boston’s MGM Music Hall at Fenway on March 30. These dates precede the band’s previously announced performance at Newport Folk Festival on July 26 and the autumn Lost and Gone Forever 25th-anniversary series, which includes a sold-out Aug. 1 appearance at Morrison, Colo.’s Red Rocks Amphitheatre. For tickets and more information on Guster’s 2024 touring, visit guster.com.
Ooh La La is available for pre-order now. Read on for the complete tracklist and watch the videos for “Keep Going” and “All Day” on YouTube.
Ooh La La Tracklist
1. This Heart is Occupied
2. When We Were Stars
3. All Day
4. My Kind
5. Keep Going
6. Gauguin, Cézanne (Everlasting Love)
7. Witness Tree
8. Black Balloon
9. The Elevator
10. Maybe We’re Alright
Guster – 2024 Tour Dates:
Mar. 7– ACL Live at The Moody Theater – Austin, Texas
Mar. 8 – Granada Theater – Dallas, Texas
Mar. 9 – The Heights Theater – Houston, Texas
Mar. 10 – The Jones Assembly – Oklahoma City
Mar. 13 – Madrid Theatre – Kansas City, Mo.
Mar. 15 – The Pageant – St. Louis
Mar. 16 – The Eastern – Atlanta
Mar. 17 – The Plaza Live – Orlando, Fla.
Mar. 20 – Haw River Ballroom – Saxapahaw, N.C.
Mar. 22 – KEMBA Live! – Columbus, Ohio
Mar. 23 – Rams Head Live! – Baltimore
Mar. 24 – Town Ballroom – Buffalo, N.Y.
Mar. 26 – Count Basie Center for the Arts – Red Bank, N.J.
Mar. 27 – XL Live – Harrisburg, Pa.
Mar. 29 – Paramount Theater – Brooklyn, N.Y.
Mar. 30 – MGM Music Hall at Fenway – Boston
July 26-28 – Newport Folk Festival – Newport, R.I.
Aug. 1 – Red Rocks Amphitheatre – Morrison, Colo.
Aug. 11 – On The Ocean Festival – Portland, Maine
Sept. 27 – Ryman Auditorium – Nashville, Tenn.