Bright Eyes is an American indie/folk band founded by singer-songwriter and guitarist Conor Oberst and consisting of Oberst, multi-instrumentalist and producer Mike Mogis, trumpet and piano player Nate Walcott, and a rotating lineup of collaborators drawn primarily from Omaha's indie music scene. Bright Eyes is signed to Saddle Creek Records, an American label also founded by Oberst and distributed by Sony Corporation. In 2004, the singles "Lua" and "Take It Easy (Love Nothing)" took the top two spots of Billboard's Hot 100 Singles Sales chart within two weeks of their simultaneous release. A founding member of Commander Venus – which disbanded in 1997 – guitarist/vocalist Conor Oberst turned to focus on his new project, Bright Eyes. The name of the band comes from a late night classic movie, Planet of the Apes, in which Dr. Zira calls Taylor "bright eyes" as a term of endearment. In 1998, he released 20 of the songs he had been stockpiling as the first official Bright Eyes album, A Collection of Songs Written and Recorded 1995-1997. The album saw Oberst beginning to experiment with drum machines, keyboards and other instruments. The sound of the album ranges from bleating vocals to acoustic guitar songs and techno-style synthesizer instrumentals. Critical reaction was negative, with Allmusic saying that many of "the songs disintegrate as his vocals are reduced to the unintelligible babbling of a child. Any balance the music maintained up to that point, however fragile, is lost and so, more than likely, is the listener."Bright Eyes - The People's Key full album stream
The People's Key is the eighth 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. The album features guest artists Andy LeMaster of Now It's Overhead, Matt Maginn of Cursive, Carla Azar of Autolux, Clark Baechle of The Faint, Shane Aspegren of The Berg Sans Nipple, Laura Burhenn of The Mynabirds, and Denny Brewer of Refried Ice Cream. The lyrics make mention of Haile Selassie, the Lion of Judah and I and I, all symbols of Rastafariansim. The first 50,000 copies of this CD will come in limited-edition packaging: 6-panel tri-fold die-cut digipak, printed on iridescent foil. Includes O-card, full color CD inner sleeve and 20 page booklet. The People's Key The best album Oberst has ever made. - NPR All Songs Considered. The People's Key - Bright Eyes' seventh studio album is the eagerly awaited follow-up to 2007's acclaimed Cassadaga. Since 2006, the once revolving cast of Bright Eyes players has settled around permanent members Conor Oberst, Mike Mogis and Nate Walcott, with additional musicians joining them in the studio and on tour. Fully realized and bursting with charisma, The People's Key is an assured and accomplished album, artfully arranged and filled with the engaging and mesmeric songwriting for which Oberst is renowned. Recorded at the band's own ARC Studios, The People's Key was produced by Mike Mogis and engineered by Mogis and Andy LeMaster. Additional players on The People's Key: Andy LeMaster (Now It's Overhead), Matt Maginn (Cursive), Carla Azar (Autolux), Clark Baechle (The Faint), Shane Aspegren (The Berg Sans Nipple), Laura Burhenn (The Mynabirds) and Denny Brewer (Refried Ice Cream).
2008 and 2009 saw Oberst release albums and tour as Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band and with supergroup Monsters of Folk. Then, in a June 2009 issue of Rolling Stone, Oberst announced that he wanted to "retire" the Bright Eyes moniker, and would be making one final album with the band: "It does feel like it needs to stop at some point. I'd like to clean it up, lock the door, say goodbye." Saddle Creek Records reissued their Neva Dinova split One Jug of Wine, Two Vessels on March 23, 2010 with four brand-new songs recorded in late 2009. On July 31, 2010, Bright Eyes teamed up with the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Nebraska to put on a concert for equality in Omaha, Nebraska. The concert raised money for a federal lawsuit the ACLU filed against the city of Fremont, Nebraska for an ordinance the city passed on June 21, 2010 banning the hiring of or the rental of properties to illegal immigrants. At this show, Bright Eyes debuted a new song entitled "Coyote Song" about two lovers separated by the Mexico – United States border. The band's new album titled The People's Key is scheduled to be released on February 15, 2011, Conor Oberst's birthday. Conor Oberst has stated that the sound of The People's Key will move away from the folk sound that the band had accomplished on previous records. "We're over the Americana, rootsy, whatever that sound is. People say country but I never thought we were very country at all. But whatever that element is or that aesthetic is, I guess it's worn a little thin for me these days. So we very much wanted it to be rocking and, for lack of a better term, contemporary, or modern." The tracks "Shell Games" and "Haile Selassie" from The People's Key have been released for free download on Saddle Creek Records' website.