The album is being released Friday, May 17 via Ocho Mule Records.
Fresh off the unique theatrical performances of their wildly successful “We Also Have Eras Tour,” Guster has shared the new song, “Maybe We're Alright.” Taken from their eagerly awaited new album, the reflective album closer “Maybe We're Alright” is streaming everywhere now. The album, Ooh La La, was produced by Josh Kaufman (The National, The Hold Steady) at Woodstock, NY's Isokon Studio, and is being released Friday, May 17 via Ocho Mule Records. Pre-orders are available now.
“The best songs are transportive,” says Guster's Ryan Miller. “As ‘Maybe We're Alright' was coming together, I started thinking about the song, ‘Life in a Northern Town' by The Dream Academy…it's always held part of me and I thought it could be a useful lodestar for our song. Nostalgic, evocative, hopeful — a really powerful destination if you can get there.”
LISTEN TO “MAYBE WE'RE ALRIGHT”
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Guster's ninth studio album and first new LP in more than five years, Ooh La La was heralded in February by the premiere of the stunning first single, “Keep Going.” An official music video is streaming on YouTube. With its luminous harmonies and gauzy guitar tones, “Keep Going” serves as a lovely encapsulation of the new album's emotional undercurrent, telegraphing an irrepressible joy in the face of turmoil and unrest. A lyric video for the song “All Day” is also streaming now.
Ooh La La marks a bold departure from its predecessor, 2019's acclaimed Look Alive. This time, Guster carved out a lush and acclaimed expansive sound rich in acoustic guitars and graceful piano work. With additional production from Ron Aniello (Bruce Springsteen) and Rich Costey (Death Cab for Cutie, Of Monsters and Men), Ooh La La radiates an undeniable warmth, even as its songs delve into the more daunting aspects of modern life.
“When I listen back to the album now it feels like there's depth everywhere,” says drummer Brian Rosenworcel. “There's not a moment where we strike a chord that isn't meaningful to us. Nobody was going to accept a song that didn't hit at a certain level, and it feels good to still have that passion more than 30 years into our career.”
“We feel lucky that we've created a dynamic where there's no real separation between us and our fans,” says Gardner. “We're all part of a community, and it's theirs just as much as it's ours.”
“One of the main reasons we're still a band is the fans who've come to see us for years,” adds Miller, “the people who show us the tattoos they've gotten with our lyrics. It inspires us to stay creative and stay fearless, instead of just making the same record over and over. Everything we do is in service of that connection, and at this point I'd say we're definitely lifers.”
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