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AN INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER SERVING THE GW COMMUNITY SINCE 1904

The GW Hatchet

Serving the GW Community since 1904

The GW Hatchet

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Officials name senior vice president, chief of staff
By Fiona Riley, Assistant News Editor • March 26, 2024

Intensity and desire motivate Guster to pursue its goals

Down to earth, optimistic and determined are just a few adjectives that describe the continuously rising band, Guster. Before an exhilarating performance at the 9:30 Club Thursday, vocalist and guitarist Adam Gardner spoke about the band’s past experiences, present plans and future goals during a backstage interview.

The trio met at Tufts University in 1992 and almost immediately began producing a musical sound that only can be described as unique. Gardner and Ryan Miller each play acoustic guitar and provide the vocals. Brian Rosenworcel pounds out the beat on drums such as the bongos, congas, djembe and cymbals.

Together, they possess an intensity, ambition and desire to succeed that drove them to independently produce their first album, Parachute. More impressively, it all took place during their junior year of college. The initial release primarily is responsible for Guster’s close-knit following.

Ultimately, however, these young college graduates had aspirations of someday making it to the cover of Rolling Stone, Gardner said. Immediately following their 1995 graduation, they took to the road and have continued touring for most of the past three and a half years. In 1997, the band released its anticipated follow-up album, Goldfly.

Although Goldfly initially was produced independently by Guster, the band signed with Sire Records and reissued the album in the spring of 1998. The members of the band said they knew that in order to succeed, they needed to get themselves under management that could provide avenues to radio play and a broader group of listeners.

As a result of signing with the Sire label, one of several companies that approached them, Guster’s music hit the airways. Last summer, Guster was featured in the West Coast portion of the H.O.R.D.E. tour. In the future, the band members said they would like to play with bands such as Barenaked Ladies and Dave Matthews Band.

Guster will be on the road for the next nine weeks, headlining a few of its own shows and then performing on the West Coast, opening for SemiSonic. Following this tour, which should end in December, the band members said they plan to take a few months off to focus on writing new material, which is a collaborative effort, Gardner said. By February, the trio will be back in the studio making a third record, which should be released by the end of next summer.

After six years of hard work, Guster has lasted longer in the music industry than most bands. The band is anxious to make it even further in the business, but as vocalist/guitarist Gardner said, “this ride is happening now.”

Its members do not know if it still is going to be around for another six years, but Guster’s future looks promising.

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