>> James: OUR NEXT GUEST IS ONE-THIRD OF THE
CRITLY ACCLAIMED BAND BRIGHT EYES, NEW ALBUM DOWN IN THE
WEEDS WHERE THE WORLD ONCE WAS, IS OUT RIGHT NOW, PLEASE WELCOME
THE ABSOLUTELY BRILLIANT CONOR OBERST, HOW ARE YOU.
>> HEY JAMES, SO NICE TO SEE YOU.
>> James: SO NICE TO SEE YOU AGAIN.
TUCK TO ME ABOUT HOW YOU-- ARE YOU IN OMAHA RIGHT NOW, WHEN DID
YOU LEAVE LOS ANGELES TO MAKE THE TRIP TO OMAHA?
>> I SPENT THE FIRST FIECH MONTHS QUARANTINED IN L.A., JUST
KIND OF YOU KNOW IN THE HOUSE.
LIKE ME AND MY GIRL AND LIKE NEVER LEFT IT WAS, YOU KNOW, IT
WAS A CHALLENGE.
BUT IT FELT KIND OF, YOU KNOW, SAFE AND NORMAL.
AND THEN DROVE BACK TO OMAHA I GUESS IN JULY AND ST A LITTLE
DIFFERENT.
WE HAVE LIKE A PRETTY IRRESPONSIBLE-- ST A RED STATE,
YOU ARE DRIVING DOWN THE STRIP OR WHATEVER, YOU SEE A LOT OF
PEOPLE JUST KIND OF PARTYING WITHOUT MASKS ON AND IT IS A
LITTLE TERRIFYING, A LITTLE DIFFERENT OUT HERE.
BUT YOU KNOW.
>> James: NOW WE HAVE TO CONGRATULATE YOU, YOU JUST
RELEASED YOUR TENTH ALL-- ALBUM.
I'M INTERESTED TO KNOW, IS IT STILL AS EXCITING RELEASING YOUR
TENTH ALBUM AS YOUR FIRST OR WILL THE FIRST ALBUM ALWAYS BE
THE MOST THRILLING?
>> WELL, I RELEASED MY FIRST ALBUM WHICH WAS REALLY A
CASSETTE WHEN I WAS LIKE 13 YEARS OLD.
SO IT WAS SOMETHING THRILLING ABOUT HEARING YOUR MUSIC ON TAPE
BASICALLY.
BUT NO, I THINK EVERY EXPERIENCE IS DIFFERENT AND OBVIOUSLY YOU
HAVE COLLABORATED WITH A LOT OF DIFFERENT PEOPLE OVER THE YEARS.
AND TONS OF PROJECTS.
THERE IS ALWAYS SOMETHING TO BE EXCITED ABOUT AND LEARN.
OBVIOUSLY AS YOU GETS OLDER THINGS CHANGE.
ST NOT QUITE AS, YEAH, IT IS NOT AS OH MY GOD, WE'RE GOING TO
SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST OR GOING TO EUROPE, YOU KNOW, YOU GET A
LITTLE DE SENSE FIEZED-- DE SENSE ADVERTISED TO SOME OF IT I
HAVE ALWAYS TRIED TO NOT GET JADED OR YOU KNOW, IT IS SUCH AN
AMAZING THING TO BE ABLE TO MAKE A LIFE PLAYING MUSIC AND HAVE
THAT BE YOUR -- I ALWAYS TRY TO COUNT MY BLESSINGS.
>> James: WE ARE ALL COUNTING OUR BLESSINGS BECAUSE THIS IS
BRIGHT EYES FIRST ALBUM SINCE 2011.
AND EVERY BRIGHT EYES ALBUM YOU HAVE MADE IS ALWAYS MEANT A HUGE
AMOUNT TO ME.
AND I AM INCREDIBLY EXCITED TO LIVE WITH THIS ALBUM FOR AWHILE.
WHAT WAS IT LIKE THE THREE OF YOU GETTING BACK INTO THE
STUDIOS TOGETHER AFTER NINE YEARS APART?
>> YOU KNOW, IT WASN'T STRANGE OR DIFFICULT AS YOU THINK.
WE'VE ALWAYS KIND OF-- WE'VE ALWAYS BEEN REALLY CLOSE
FRIENDS, MICHAEL AND I SHARE A BACKYARD IN OMAHA, AND MY HOUSE
IN L.A. I LIVE REALLY CLOSE TO-- THE OTHER GUYS, SO WE A
SHALL-- NATE AND MIKE ARE MAKING FILM SCORES TOGETHER AND THEY
HELPED ME ON MY DIFFERENT PROJECTS, IT WASN'T LIKE THERE
HAD TO BE LIKE A PHONE CALL LIKE IN THE RAIN, PHONE BOOTH, LET'S
GET THE BAND BACK TOGETHER.
WE WEREN'T-- IT WOULD BE NICE IF YOU DID THAT, IT WOULD BE QUITE
NICE, NEXT TIME ST RAINING IF YOU GO TO A PHONE BOTH AND JUST
HAVE THAT CONVERSATION, JUST FOR THE THRILL OF IT, REALLY YOU
HAVE TO FIND A PHONE BOOTH THRARKS IS THE HARDEST PROBLEM.
SO MANY INCREDIBLE ARTISTS, THE KILLERS, HAVE COVERED YOUR
SONGS.
HOW DOES IT FEEL TO SEE YOUR WORK WHEN IT GETS PERFORMED AND
KNOW IT HAS BEEN AN INSPIRATION.
>> IS THAT AN ODD FEELING?
IT BRINGS ME A LOT OF JOY, ST NICE THAT PEOPLE CONNECT WITH
THE MUSIC.
I WAS LUCKY GROWING UP OF ALWAYS HAVING A LOT OF OLDER MUSICIANS
SUPPORTIVE OF ME, PEOPLE FROM MY HOMETOWN.
BUT THEN ALSO LATER IN LIFE, YOU KNOW, MICHAEL STIPE AND BRUCE
SPRINGSTEEN, NEIL YOUNG, AND PATTI SMITH, PEOPLE THAT HAVE
EXTENDED SORT OF AN OPEN EAR AND ENCOURAGING THAT DEFINITELY
DIDN'T HAVE TO, I FEEL LIKE IT IS FULL CIRCLE, IF WE CAN GIVE
BACK AND INSPIRE YOUNGER BANDS, THAT IS THE WAY THE WHEEL GOES
AROUND, HOPEFULLY IN A PERFECT WORLD.
>> James: CERTAINLY DUSKS I AM SO HAPPY YOU HAVE PUT THIS ALBUM
OUT, PARTICULARLY AT THIS TIME RIGHT NOW.
WHEN WE COME BACK, YOU WILL GET TO HEAR A PERFORMANCE FROM
BRIGHT EYE, COME ON BACK, EVERYBODY.