Bright Eyes have shared a new song. The ska-inflected “1st World Blues” arrives with a Jared Sherbert–directed video that stars Conor Oberst alongside members of So So Glos and pro skater Nelly Morville. Watch it below.
“‘1st World Blues’ is an homage to ska in all its waves,” the band said in a press statement. “From Desmond Decker to Tim Armstrong, we’re just happy to add our track to the bin. The video is inspired by NYC ’90s hip hop, which like ska, has a long tradition of unifying people and using celebratory music to convey subversive political themes. To be played loud. Windows down. Summertime.”
Bright Eyes released the album Five Dice, All Threes last year. In March, Oberst and his bandmates teamed up with Cursive for the Bandcamp-exclusive single “Recluse I Don’t Have to Love,” a mashup of their respective songs “Lover I Don’t Have to Love” and “The Recluse,” with all proceeds going to Bright Eyes’ own LGBTQ+ nonprofit organization, Poison Oak Project.
Bright Eyes will resume their ongoing North American tour on August 26, in Ojai, California. The band was previously forced to cancel some 2024 dates as Oberst reportedly sought treatment for vocal problems. Scroll down to see all of Bright Eyes’ upcoming shows.
Revisit Marc Hogan’s review of Bright Eyes’ 2020 album, Down in the Weeds, Where the World Once Was, and read about Conor Oberst in “The 200 Most Important Artists of Pitchfork’s First 25 Years.”
Bright Eyes:
08-26 Ojai, CA – Libbey Bowl
08-27 Sonoma, CA – Gundlach Bundschu Winery
08-28 Forest Grove, OR – McMenamins Grand Lodge
08-29 Vancouver, British Columbia – Malkin Bowl
08-30 Seattle, WA – Bumbershoot 2025
09-01 Boise, ID – Treefort Music Hall
09-02 Salt Lake City, UT – The Depot
09-03 Las Vegas, NV – House of Blues Las Vegas
11-27 Singapore, Singapore – Capitol Theatre
12-03 Osaka, Japan – Yogibo Meta Valley
12-04 Tokyo, Japan – Ex Theater Roppongi