Music, Style & Culture

Bright Eyes: Folk Off

Emma Swann finds out what it’s like to get the band back together.

Following four years away working on ‘other projects’ Bright Eyes, the original darlings of the blogosphere, return with the remarkable ‘The People’s Key’. Emma Swann finds out what it’s like to get the band back together. Photography: Adrian Nettleship

Back, back, BACK!!! The return of Bright Eyes might seem more of a traditional comeback if it didn’t feel like they’ve never been away. Previous album ‘Cassadaga’ may have emerged all the way back in 2007, but since then we’ve had Conor Oberst’s escapades with chums the Mystic Valley Band, plus both his and Mike Mogis’ involvement in the Monsters Of Folk project. 

Still, new album ‘The People’s Key’ is the band’s first in “damn near four years”. It’s worth getting excited about, too. Gone are the familiar string arrangements, the band’s third permanent member Nate Walcott replacing them with vintage keyboard sounds, and Conor’s instantly recognisable vocals are stronger than ever.

It’s upbeat, and designed that way – Bright Eyes didn’t just press ‘pause’ on their way out, as Mike explains. “We didn’t want to go back to what we were doing when we stopped, because it was sort of depressing, really. That’s a little harsh, but it kinda makes you want to chuck up.”

Conor agrees. “I think every record is a reflection of where everyone is in our collective lives-slash-interests. I think you make what you want to hear.”

Mike carries on. “Because we all had different projects it felt like something new, which is kind of nice considering we’ve been around for sixteen years or something.”

‘The People’s Key’ was recorded in the band’s own studio in Omaha, Nebraska, a situation Conor describes as “the best of both worlds. Essentially like home recording, but your home is super hi-fi.” It took around nine months to complete, the band being able to record ideas, leave them for a while, and return with fresh ears.

“We would work on something, and then we’d go away for a month, and then come back and revise, or rearrange something, or add new parts. It’s like letting paint dry, then putting another coat on top. That, over and over again, until you get a nice, deep colour.”

Having their own studio space, away from the producer’s clock, didn’t only allow them to spend almost a year perfecting ‘The People’s Key’, it also directly affected their new direction, according to Mike. “We spent the better part of a decade collecting gear that we find helps us make the sort of sounds and the sort of record that we want to make. It’s the only studio in the world that has that specific collection of stuff, whether it be instruments or actual recording devices.”

Included in the new mass of equipment is Nate’s collection of keyboards, whose prominent role is the most obvious difference between ‘The People’s Key’ and previous records. They’re part of the band’s shift to being what Conor calls “more pop than folk.”

These new additions to Bright Eyes’ sonic spectrum may be electronic in nature, but they’re a long way from electronica, as both Conor and Mike are keen to express, the former stating “It’s about as electronic as apple pie!”, with Mike continuing, “It’s just not as folky a sound, the synths that are on there you can find on a Cure record”.

If rumours are to be believed, ‘The People’s Key’ might not just be Bright Eyes’ new album; it could also be their last. Conor is keen to allay our fears, though: “With every record, we’re going to say it’s our last, just to drum up a little bit of excitement. It’s the last... for now.”

Bright Eyes’ new album ‘The People’s Key’ is out now via Polydor.

Extract taken from the April 2011 issue of DIY, available now. For more details, and to read the full interview, click here.