Guster's Ryan Miller on His Band’s Enduring Success and Writing Songs for the 'Safety Not Guaranteed' Musical

With a new album and celebratory tour cheekily inspired by Taylor Swift, Guster is riding higher than ever.

(L-R) Guster’s Brian Rosenworcel, Ryan Miller, Luke Reynolds, and Adam Gardner. (Credit: Alysse Gafkjen)

This summer, I experienced a moment on vacation in which I felt so happy that I wanted to listen to a song that reflected my joy. I chose “Diane” by Guster. 

A few days later, I wrote an essay about this experience, describing Guster’s music as my “instant happiness.” And a month after listening to “Diane” on vacation, I had the opportunity to share this story with Ryan Miller—the lead singer of Guster. ¹

Miller listened to my story patiently. And since I’ve been a fan of the band for close to twenty years, he had to listen to a few stories of mine. But Miller welcomed this, because as he noted, “My whole life philosophy boils down to storytelling these days.”  

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When it comes to Guster, you’ve either never heard of them, or you are a major fan. Guster has a lot of casual fans too, but their diehard fans are legion. 

In a year when superstars such as Jennifer Lopez and The Black Keys have had to cancel national tours due to low ticket sales, Guster has toured successfully throughout 2024, including sold-out shows at legendary venues like The Ryman and Red Rocks Amphitheater. And it’s all due to the loyal fanbase the group has cultivated since the bandmates were college students in Boston in the early 90s. 

After meeting their freshman year at Tufts University, Brian Rosenworcel, Adam Gardner and Miller began recording songs in their dorm room, and are now a foursome with Luke Reynolds. ²  

Over thirty years and nine albums, including 1992’s Lost and Gone Forever, 2010’s Easy Wonderful and this year’s Ooh La La, Guster has created winsome, melodic songs that reverberate with sunswept harmonies.  And despite the fact that streaming services and algorithms have changed the ways we listen to and discover music, Guster has only seen their fan base grow. 

“I’m always trying to process it in some kind of way, mostly just to see if we can support it,” Miller says when asked about the key to his band’s longevity. “And not to be self-congratulatory about it, but to instead ask, ‘What’s the essence of the band? How do we stay creative, and how do we support our fans?’”  

He adds, “We need a story to bring people in. And once we do, what’s the story we’re trying to tell?” 

The story of Guster is often one of optimism, perseverance and hope, as evidenced in songs like “What You Wish For,” “This Could All Be Yours Someday” and “Keep Going.” That energy and spirit can also be found in their live shows, from performing for a handful of fans as part of their surprise “dumpster sets” to hosting thousands at their annual On the Ocean summer music festival in Portland, Maine.

After marking three decades together, Guster decided to tell their actual story as a band—and cheekily took inspiration from Taylor Swift.