On January 18, Guster will issue a new studio album entitled Look Alive via Nettwerk/Ocho Mule. One of the first singles from the album was “Hard Times” and the band unveiled a stripped-down acoustic rendition of the song.
Guster’s first new album in four years was produced by Leo Abrahams and was recorded in Calgary at a vintage keyboard museum. The band recruited John Congleton and Collin DuPuis to produce additional sessions. “Throughout our career, we’ve put a lot of care and imagination into the sonics and textures of our albums,” Guster’s Ryan Miller told Paste. “‘Hard Times,’ at first blush, may seem like a radical departure from our usual palette but we hope that this version shows that, ultimately, it all comes back to what has driven this band for over 25 years: a song we can be proud of.” Paste premiered the acoustic “Hard Times,” which can be streamed below:
