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.
The Faint is an American indie rock band. Formed in Omaha, Nebraska, the band consists of Todd Fink, Graham Ulicny, Dapose and Clark Baechle. The Faint was originally known as Norman Bailer and included Conor Oberst. He quit shortly after the band was formed, though the Faint continued to share a spot with Bright Eyes on Saddle Creek Records.
Saddle Creek Records is an American record label based in Omaha, Nebraska. Started as a college class project on entrepreneurship, the label was founded by Mike Mogis and Justin Oberst in 1993. Mogis soon turned over his role in the company to Robb Nansel. The label is named after Saddle Creek Road, a major street which cuts through midtown Omaha and also the beginnings of a scene whose members included Justin's brother Conor Oberst, Tim Kasher, and others. Collectively, they were known unofficially as the "Creekers". Saddle Creek first appeared in print on a show flyer, offering to "Spend an evening with Saddle Creek" Saddle Creek became an incorporated entity as a result of a class project on entrepreneurship. Distribution is handled by Redeye Distribution.
Desaparecidos was an American punk rock band from Omaha, Nebraska founded by singer/guitarist Conor Oberst.
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.
Commander Venus was an American emo band from Omaha, Nebraska. Fronted by Conor Oberst and Tim Kasher, the band also included Todd Fink and Matt Bowen of The Faint, Ben Armstrong of Head of Femur and Robb Nansel, executive producer of the indie label Saddle Creek. Kasher subsequently went on to front the band Cursive, and Oberst later became famous as the core member of the indie folk collective Bright Eyes, and later the punk band Desaparecidos.
Azure Ray is an American dream pop duo, consisting of musicians Orenda Fink and Maria Taylor. Formed in Athens, Georgia, in 2001, they later moved to Omaha, Nebraska, and became part of the Saddle Creek Records music scene, which also included Bright Eyes, The Faint, and Cursive. Azure Ray's music has often been featured in film and television, including Six Feet Under, Grey's Anatomy, and The Devil Wears Prada. They have released five albums and several EPs.
Todd Fink is the lead singer of the band The Faint. He attended Omaha's Westside High School.
Michael Riley Mogis is an American producer/engineer and multi-instrumentalist who, along with his brother A.J. Mogis, founded Presto! Recording Studios. Mogis currently runs ARC in downtown Omaha.
A Christmas Album is the fifth album and first Christmas album by Bright Eyes released in 2002. The proceeds of the album go to the Nebraska AIDS Project.
Orenda Fink is an American singer, musician, and writer. Perhaps best known as half of the duo Azure Ray, Fink is also a member of Art in Manila, O+S, Closeness, and High Up, and has played with or appeared as a guest on records by Bright Eyes, Conor Oberst, Moby, The Faint, Pete Yorn, and others. She is married to Todd Fink of The Faint.
Nate Walcott is an American musical composer, arranger, pianist, keyboardist, and trumpeter. He has composed the scores for several feature-length films, including 2014's The Fault in Our Stars. He is a member of the band Bright Eyes, and has played in Conor Oberst's Mystic Valley Band and with singer-songwriter M. Ward. Between 2016 and 2019, Walcott was the touring pianist and keyboard player for the Red Hot Chili Peppers, during their The Getaway World Tour.
Stefanie Drootin is one half of the band Umm and one half of the band Big Harp (band) on Saddle Creek Records. She is also the bass guitarist for the band The Good Life on Saddle Creek Records. Stefanie plays or has played in Bright Eyes, She and Him, M.Ward, McCarthy Trenching, Azure Ray, Orenda Fink and Maria Taylor. She is the sister of Los Angeles-based, Books on Tape.
11:11 is the debut solo album by American musician Maria Taylor. It was released on May 24, 2005 by Saddle Creek Records. The album was produced by Andy LeMaster and Mike Mogis, who also provide additional musical backing throughout. It features appearances from Conor Oberst of Bright Eyes and Gretta Cohn of Cursive, among others, while one track was written by Taylor's former Little Red Rocket bandmate Louis Schefano.
Lynn Teeter Flower is the second album by Maria Taylor and was released on March 6, 2007. This is the 102nd release of Saddle Creek Records. The album features a guest appearance and co-write from Bright Eyes' Conor Oberst on the track "The Ballad of Sean Foley" in addition to contributions from Jim Eno of Spoon, Andy LeMaster, and Doug Easley. Rolling Stone said that album "offers thoughtful, pretty singer-songwriter fare with spare, delicate backup and dashes of Seventies navel-gazing."
Andy LeMaster is an American musician, songwriter, engineer, and producer from Athens, Georgia. Now It's Overhead is the primary project for his own songwriting, while he also releases music under his own name and contributes as a co-writer on various projects. LeMaster has engineered, produced, and performed on many albums since he began recording in the late 1990s, including releases by Bright Eyes, Now It's Overhead, Azure Ray, Conor Oberst, Maria Taylor, Orenda Fink, Better Oblivion Community Center, and Michael Stipe. He is co-owner of Chase Park Transduction recording studio in Athens with fellow producer/engineer/musician, David Barbe. He has been a frequent touring member of Bright Eyes since the late 90's, and has performed live as a band member with several other artists including Azure Ray, Fischerspooner, and Michael Stipe. LeMaster is also a talented visual artist, and has done all the covers for Now It's Overhead's records. Andy has stated in interviews that he identifies as gay. He made a guest appearance on Late Night with David Letterman in 2007 playing bass as a rotating member of the band Bright Eyes.
Taylor Hollingsworth is a guitarist, singer-songwriter and artist from Birmingham, Alabama. Hollingsworth is also member of Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band and Dead Fingers, and has toured with Conor Oberst, Maria Taylor, The Dexateens, Monsieur Jeffrey Evans and his Southern Ace's and Verbena.
Overlook is the fourth album by Maria Taylor, released on August 16, 2011, on Saddle Creek Records. After moving back to her hometown of Birmingham, Taylor was unable to write for nearly a year, eventually composing the entire album over two weeks during a break in touring with Azure Ray. This release marks the first time Taylor produced her own album. Overlook was engineered by Birmingham musician Les Nuby, who also played drums and guitar, and also features her brother Macey Taylor of Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band on bass, banjo, organ and keyboards and Browan Lollar of St. Paul and The Broken Bones on guitar.
Louis Schefano is an American singer-songwriter, producer/engineer and multi-instrumentalist originally from Birmingham, Alabama, United States. He has recorded under various monikers including Regia, Louis, and Suspicious Light. Schefano was also a founding member of Remy Zero and Little Red Rocket, and has performed, produced or recorded with Azure Ray, Maria Taylor, Verbena, Cheshires, Bright Eyes, The Ladybug Transistor, and Jaymay.
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.
