An Alleged Evening with Conor Oberst

Conor Oberst started his first band at the age of 13 and has been releasing music since 1993. Over the next three decades, he’s released cassette-only recordings, split 7-inches, and two dozen albums of uncommon insight, detail, and political awareness with his band Bright Eyes, under his own name, as a member of Desaparecidos, as leader of the The Mystic Valley Band, with the Monsters of Folk supergroup, and in Better Oblivion Community Center with Phoebe Bridgers.

“I have always believed there’s salvation through music and love. At least for me. It’s gotten me through the worst of things. But I want it to be that way for the people who listen to it, too,” explains Oberst. “I feel I always make an attempt, even when writing what is a pretty depressing number, to sew some silver lining into it. I think the secret to happiness is making yourself believe that happiness is possible. The first step in overcoming anything is to believe that you can do it. So in my songs there’s always a point where something pulls you out of the hole you’re in”

Over the decades, Oberst and Bright Eyes’ impact and influence have been significant throughout pop-culture, appearing in countless films and television shows. Oberst’s songs have been covered by dozens of artists including Lorde, The Killers, Mac Miller, Phoebe Bridgers, Jason Mraz and beabadoobee, and sampled by rappers like Young Thug and Lil Peep. For an artist that’s often been perceived as an outlier, the depth, breadth, and impact of the Conor Oberst and Bright Eyes canon is remarkable.