Conor Oberst American musician Date of Birth: 15.02.1980 Country: USA

Biography of Conor Oberst

Conor Oberst is an American indie and folk musician, best known as the leader of the popular band 'Bright Eyes'. Born in 1980 in Omaha, Nebraska, Conor was the youngest of three sons in a family of a finance company manager and an elementary school director. From an early age, Conor developed a passion for music. He joined the school choir and played in the school band, but it wasn't until 1992 that he had the opportunity to showcase his own creative potential. His friends invited him to participate in a school concert, and despite only being a beginner guitarist at the time, Conor eagerly accepted. Over the next few weeks, he wrote enough songs to perform in his first live show.

After the performance, Conor seriously considered pursuing a musical career and began recording his own songs in the basement of his parents' house using a tape recorder and an acoustic guitar. Eventually, the basement transformed into a small studio where Conor and his friends recorded more and more songs. In 1993, Conor released his first solo album, titled 'Water', funded by his older brother and released on their indie label 'Lumberjack Records', which is now known as 'Saddle Creek Records'.

As time went on, Conor started to distance himself from solo work and began playing more frequently with his friends' bands. His first own band was called 'Commander Venus' and was formed in the mid-1995. Around the same time, Conor joined the band 'The Faint', originally named 'Norman Bailer'. However, due to his busy schedule, he couldn't contribute his own songs specifically written for the band. Nevertheless, 'The Faint' successfully debuted with Conor's compositions and gained considerable recognition. Meanwhile, Conor devoted his free time to 'Commander Venus', which disbanded in 1998 after releasing two albums.

In the late 1990s, Conor collaborated with various young bands but didn't stay in any of them for long. Among his projects during that time were 'The Magnetas' and the popular indie-folk collective 'Park Ave.'. However, his most renowned project, which solidified Conor's name in the history of indie rock, happened unexpectedly. After the breakup of his first band, he independently recorded a small album with other musicians in his basement. This marked the formation of the band 'Bright Eyes', and within a few months, their first album 'Every Day and Every Night' was released to warm reception from music critics. In 2002, their second album 'Lifted or The Story Is in the Soil, Keep Your Ear to the Ground' brought the band to a national level and established Conor's reputation as one of the brightest young musicians of his time.

'Bright Eyes' intrigued listeners with a unique atmosphere of happiness, which was uncommon in the genre at that time. It was during the worldwide celebration that the band recorded one of their main hits, 'On the Bottom of Everything'. The song reimagined the tragedy of a plane crash and surprisingly evoked warm emotions in its listeners. Another notable song by the band, 'First Day of My Life', sparked numerous debates as it was written from the perspective of a woman by Conor. Despite folk musicians commonly using this technique for decades, rumors circulated online about Conor's sexual orientation, which he never denied, though he never provided any confirmation to journalists either.

Today, Conor Oberst plays in several musical groups, including 'Monsters of Folk', 'Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band', and 'Desaparecidos'. Conor is an advocate for animal rights and a strict vegetarian. Regarding religion, he is not particularly talkative, stating that he has not yet found what satisfies him. For many, Conor's life may seem like a fairy tale, but he considers it hard work that is worth it. "We must run, run, and run through this life," Conor repeatedly sings with a smile, quoting a line from one of his songs.