Bright Eyes is an American indie rock band founded by singer-songwriter and guitarist Conor Oberst. It consists of Oberst, multi-instrumentalist and producer Mike Mogis, arranger, composer and trumpet and piano player Nate Walcott, and a rotating line-up of collaborators drawn primarily from Omaha's indie music scene. Between 1998 and 2011, the band's albums were released through Saddle Creek Records, a Nebraska-based label founded by Justin Oberst and Mogis. In January 2020, the band announced their return, having signed with Dead Oceans.
Lifted or The Story Is in the Soil, Keep Your Ear to the Ground is the fourth studio album by Bright Eyes and the 46th release of Saddle Creek Records. The band made its national television debut in support of the album, performing "The Trees Get Wheeled Away" on the Late Show with David Letterman.
Fevers and Mirrors is the third album by the Nebraska indie band Bright Eyes, recorded in 1999 and released on May 29, 2000. It was the 32nd release of the Omaha, Nebraska-based record label Saddle Creek Records. The album was released later in 2000 in the United Kingdom as the inaugural release from Wichita Recordings.
Letting Off the Happiness is the second album released by the indie rock band Bright Eyes. The album was released on November 2, 1998. It was the first release by Bright Eyes to feature and be produced by Mike Mogis, now a permanent member of the band. A vinyl re-release of the album was included in the Bright Eyes Vinyl Box Set in 2012. Guest musicians include members of Cursive, Tilly and the Wall, and Elephant 6 collective's Neutral Milk Hotel and of Montreal.
Desaparecidos is an American punk rock band from Omaha, Nebraska, headed by singer/guitarist Conor Oberst, the frontman of Bright Eyes.
Conor Mullen Oberst is an American singer-songwriter best known for his work in Bright Eyes. He has also played in several other bands, including Desaparecidos, The Faint, Commander Venus, Park Ave., Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band, Monsters of Folk, and Better Oblivion Community Center. Oberst was named the Best Songwriter of 2008 by Rolling Stone magazine.
"Lua" is a single by Bright Eyes released in October 2004. Appearing on the album, I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning, the song deals with two people as they struggle through depression, addiction, and an interminable night. Conor Oberst appears alone on the track, on vocals and acoustic guitar.
Eisley is a rock band from Tyler, Texas, originally consisting of siblings Sherri DuPree, Chauntelle DuPree, Stacy DuPree and Weston DuPree. Remaining recording/touring members are cousins Sherri DuPree-Bemis and Garron DuPree. Their name was inspired by the Star Wars saga. Since forming, the band has released five studio albums: Room Noises (2005), Combinations (2007), The Valley (2011), Currents (2013), and I'm Only Dreaming (2017), along with numerous EPs. Eisley has recorded videos for "Marvelous Things", "I Wasn't Prepared", "Telescope Eyes", "Invasion", "Memories", "Smarter", "The Valley" and "Currents", which can be viewed on their official website, but largely, the band's strong, steady, organic growth comes from touring and an aggressive online marketing approach.
Tilly and the Wall was an indie pop group from Omaha, Nebraska. Their name originated from a children's book called Tillie and the Wall, written by Leo Lionni. They are particularly noted for having a tap dancer, Jamie Pressnall, instead of a drummer.
Maria Diane Taylor is an American singer-songwriter from Birmingham, Alabama. She is also a member of the duo Azure Ray with Orenda Fink. Taylor plays several instruments, including the piano, guitar, and drums, and has collaborated or performed with such artists as Bright Eyes, Moby, Michael Stipe of R.E.M., Joshua Radin, Nik Freitas and more.
Four Winds is an EP by the indie rock band Bright Eyes, that was released on March 6, 2007. The title track is the first single from their album Cassadaga. The other 5 tracks are exclusive b-sides from the 2006 recording sessions. It is marketed as being "quietly enchanting" and including "a wandering country charm and all of the story-telling seductiveness of earlier work. The song "Four Winds" was ranked #5 on Rolling Stone's list of the 100 Best Songs of 2007.
Cassadaga is the eighth studio album by Bright Eyes, released in the UK on April 9, 2007 and in the US on April 10. Around 25 to 30 songs were recorded in 2006, with 13 of these appearing on the final track list. The album is named after the town of Cassadaga, Florida, a community of mediums and followers of spiritualism. Z Berg of the Like, Sherri DuPree and Stacy King of Eisley as well as solo artist Rachael Yamagata all appear on this album. The first single, "Four Winds" was released on March 6, 2007, from the Four Winds EP with five B-sides not on Cassadaga.
Conor Oberst is a solo-album by Conor Oberst, of the band Bright Eyes, which was released on August 4, 2008 by Merge Records. The album debuted on the UK Albums Chart at #37 and reached #15 on the Billboard Top 200. It sold 98,000 copies in the US as of August 2009.
Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band is the name taken by Conor Oberst and his backing band, which is composed of Nik Freitas (guitar), Taylor Hollingsworth (guitar), Macey Taylor (bass), Nate Walcott (keyboards/organ) and Jason Boesel (drums). The band was formed to back Oberst on his 2008 solo album but soon evolved into a band of its own with all members singing and providing songs for 2009's Outer South.
Gentleman's Pact is the first EP by Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band, consisting of four unreleased tracks, two preceding the band's 2008 album Conor Oberst and two proceeding it. The EP was exclusively available to purchase at concerts during the 2008 tour, and was limited to an edition of 1,000 physical copies. It was released under the name Conor Oberst.
The People's Key is the ninth studio album by Bright Eyes, the Nebraska band of Conor Oberst, Mike Mogis, and Nate Walcott. The album was recorded in Omaha, NE at ARC Studios, produced by Mogis, and engineered by Mogis and Andy LeMaster. The album was released on February 15, 2011, Conor Oberst's birthday, on Saddle Creek Records. Before then, it was streaming online in its entirety as part of NPR's "First Listen" series.
I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning is one of two Bright Eyes albums released on January 25, 2005, by Saddle Creek Records.
Something About Knowing is the fifth album by Maria Taylor, released on October 29, 2013 on Saddle Creek Records. The album finds Taylor returning to working with producer Mike Mogis of Bright Eyes, recording a majority of the record in Omaha and three songs in her hometown of Birmingham. Other collaborations on this record include her brother, multi-instrumentalist Macey Taylor of Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band and Jenny Lewis, mixing by Andy Lemaster, and co-writing and recording two songs with Brad Armstrong of 13 Ghosts.
In the Next Life is the sixth studio album by American singer-songwriter Maria Taylor, also a member of Azure Ray. It was released on December 9, 2016, on her label Flower Moon Records. The first single "If Only", features guest vocals by Omaha singer-songwriter Conor Oberst of Bright Eyes.
Down in the Weeds, Where the World Once Was is the tenth studio album by Bright Eyes, the Nebraska band of Conor Oberst, Mike Mogis, and Nate Walcott. The release marks the band's first project in nearly a decade, following The People's Key (2011). It was released by Dead Oceans on August 21, 2020, making it their first album not released by Saddle Creek Records. The album was recorded at ARC Studios in Omaha and Electro-Vox and Capitol Studios in Los Angeles. It features musical contributions from drummer Jon Theodore and Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist Flea who had previously recorded The Mars Volta's 2003 debut studio record De-loused in the Comatorium together.
