29 - Conor Oberst on Bright Eyes, the Iraq War, protest music, and the music industry under socialism

The Most Interesting People I Know

Conor Oberst is one of the most prolific singer-songwriters of the last twenty years. Best known for his work with Bright Eyes, Oberst has also collaborated with Flea, Jim James, Alt-J, and Phoebe Bridgers. His most recent song, “Miracle of Life”, featuring Bridgers, raised money for Planned Parenthood and opposed Trump’s nomination of Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court.

Oberst sat for an interview with me this fall as the first in a series for Jacobin. An edited and condensed transcript can be found here. We talked a bit about politics (Oberst made public stances against the Iraq War and supported Bernie Sanders in 2016 and 2020) and a lot about music.

I’ve been a big fan of Bright Eyes and Conor’s solo work for years now, so it was a real treat to get to chat with him.

Be sure to check out Bright Eyes's first album in 9 years, Down in the Weeds, Where the World Once Was.

As always, you can find me on Twitter @GarrisonLovely