With its 2006 album, _Ganging Up on the Sun_, the alternative-rock band Guster enjoyed national success, reaching No. 25 on the Billboard 200. In 2010, Guster released its sixth album, entitled _Easy Wonderful_.
With its new album, Guster abandons its old sound for something a little bit more upbeat. Drummer Brian Rosenworcel said he believes the new album delivers a sound completely different from anything the band has performed in the past.
“I think for us, every album is kind of its own adventure,” Rosenworcel said. “Every album sounds completely different than the last, and it just (is) whatever comes out of us. We don’t have any rules for songs, so this one ended up being more of an upbeat album. It’s my favorite.”
Guster’s songs are well known for their upbeat, pop-like melodies with dark lyrics.
“Ryan (the lead singer and guitarist) tends to write a lot of personal lyrics,” Rosenworcel said. “They’re not the happiest lyrics if you really get into them. It’s harder to write an upbeat song with happy lyrics because it just might sound corny. When we write an album, we take it really seriously. That’s why it’s taking longer and longer between albums.”
Guster used to spend around nine months out of the year touring, but has decreased this amount of time to around four months. When on tour, the band treats the crowd to an improvised song.
“Once or twice a show, we improvise a song,” Rosenworcel said. “Maybe Ryan, our singer, will rap, or maybe he’ll sing a song about Booches. Usually it’s unpredictable, it can be really awful or really fun.”
Rosenworcel, who often plays drums barehanded, said he enjoys performing and displaying his unique talent to an audience. For him, the best moment comes at the end of the show, he said.
“I use cymbals and snare drums and other things you (should) not hit with your hands,” Rosenworcel said. “My favorite moment is putting my hands in a bucket of ice when the show is done because they hurt so much.”
He said Guster looks forward to playing at MU next week, as they have a history in Columbia. The band has played at The Blue Note and at an outdoor concert on Ninth Street in the past.
“We are actually really excited about the show at Mizzou,” Rosenworcel said. “My wife is from (Columbia), and I’ve got a lot of family that (is) going to come to Jesse. We have a lot of love for Columbia. Ryan once wore a Booches shirt on Leno, Letterman or Conan. I can’t remember which one we were playing.”
Guster will perform with Zach Heckendorf and Mary & the Giant at 8 p.m. Oct. 19 at Jesse Auditorium. Tickets for the show can be purchased at the MSA/GPC box office.