Bright Eyes (band)

Categories: American musical groups | Folk music groups | Indie rock groups

Conor Oberst

Bright Eyes is a band fronted by Conor Oberst, an American singer-songwriter from Nebraska.

Bright Eyes currently resides on the Saddle Creek record label, an Omaha-based label that is home to bands including Cursive, The Faint, and Now It's Overhead. The name "Bright Eyes" came from a film Oberst was watching, where the male protagonist affectionately used the term to describe the female protagonist.

Conor Oberst and producer/multi-instrumentalist Mike Mogis are the only permanent members, with the backup players resembling something of a Saddle Creek house band, pulling many, if not most, from other bands on the label. Oberst's vocal style and lyrics often have a desperate edge: he frequently sounds like he's on the verge of crying, or of having a nervous breakdown.

Oberst has stated that his lyrics do not necessarily reflect his personal experience, and are often similar to short stories. "Padraic My Prince," for example, tells of a mother drowning the narrator's brother in a bathtub, an event Oberst has stated is fictional. In interviews, Oberst has explained such situations are often required to achieve the emotive extremes he seeks.

Oberst has served in many bands since the age of 13, by first fronting the mildly succesful band Commander Venus and the not-as-successful Park Ave.. He was also the lead singer of Desaparecidos. Although there are some parallels between Desaparecidos and Bright Eyes, the lyrics of Desaparecidos tend to reflect more on society rather than individuals, and the music fits more to punk rock than folk. Although this clean comparison is for the most part accurate, it should be noted that there are two general stylistic grains in Bright Eyes' catalog. The earliest records and most recent Digital Ash in a Digital Urn feature heavier use of electronic instruments and drum machines, while Lifted and I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning, while still using many electronic aspects, have a more "stripped down" tone with the acoustic guitar taking the most prominent role.

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Bright Eyes at Kulturmejeriet in Lund 16 July 2005

During the 2004 election season, Bright Eyes toured with Bruce Springsteen and R.E.M. on the MoveOn.org "Vote for Change" tour, further pushing him into the public eye. On May 5, 2005 Bright Eyes appeared on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno and performed the protest song "When the President Talks to God", a scathing rebuke of the Bush administration.

In early November, 2004, two Bright Eyes singles, "Lua" and "Take It Easy (Love Nothing)", reached the two top spots on the Billboard Hot 100 Single Sales, a remarkable feat for a musician on an independent label. This was the first time this has happened on the list in seven years. Many predict that, as of January 2005, Oberst is on the verge of an international mainstream breakthrough.