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Apr 24, 2019 By Christopher Roberts Photography by Nik Freitas Better Oblivion Community Center

Phoebe Bridgers and Conor Oberst (of Bright Eyes) recently teamed up as the new band Better Oblivion Community Center and in January they surprise released their self-titled debut album via Dead Oceans. Now they have shared two new tracks, “Little Trouble” and “Sleepwalkin’ (Daydreamin’ Version).” They have also done a Tiny Desk Concert for NPR Music. Check it all out below, followed by the band’s upcoming tour dates.

“Little Trouble” and “Sleepwalkin’ (Daydreamin’ Version)” were originally released on a tour-only 7-inch, but are now available digitally. They were recorded in December by Mike Mogis and the original version of “Sleepwalkin’” is featured on the album.

For the uninitiated, Tiny Desk Concerts are stripped down sets recorded at the desk of Bob Boilen, the host of NPR’s All Songs Considered. For it the band performed “My City,” “Exception to the Rule,” and “Dylan Thomas.”

Better Oblivion Community Center previously stopped by The Late Show with Stephen Colbert to announce the project and perform the album’s “Dylan Thomas.” “Dylan Thomas” was also one of our Songs of the Week. Then they stopped by CBS This Morning to perform three songs from the album: “Dylan Thomas,” “Didn’t Know What I Was In For,” and “My City.” They also shared a video for “Dylan Thomas” directed by Japanese Breakfast’s Michelle Zauner. Then they stopped by The Late Late Show with James Corden to perform the album’s “Sleepwalkin’.” Then the band covered Death Cab for Cutie‘s “Title and Registration” at their Seattle show. Then in Brooklyn they covered “Shallow,” Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper’s hit Oscar-winning song from their hit movie A Star Is Born.

The album features the following players: Bridgers (vocals, baritone guitar), Oberst (vocals, piano), Nick Zinner (guitar), Carla Azar (drums, percussion), Anna Butterss (upright bass), Christian Lee Hutson (guitar), Andy LeMaster (samples), and Taylor Hollingsworth (sampled voice).

Bridgers, Oberst, and Andy LeMaster produced the album, which was engineered by LeMaster at Fivestar Studio in Los Angeles and mixed by John Congleton. Bridgers and Oberst wrote all the songs except for “Chesapeake” and “Forest Lawn,” which were written by Bridgers, Oberst, and Christian Lee Hutson, and “Dominos,” which was written by Taylor Hollingsworth. The project was teased via a hotline you could call to get a strange answering machine message.

Oberst recently announced some solo tour dates for July.

Bridgers released her debut album, Stranger in the Alps, back in September 2017 via Dead Oceans and then released a deluxe digital version in October 2018, also via Dead Oceans. Last year Bridgers also teamed up with fellow singer/songwriters Julien Baker and Lucy Dacus to form supergroup boygenius, whose self-titled debut EP was released in October via Matador. Bridgers and Oberst have collaborated before, for example he sang on Stranger in the Alps’ “Would You Rather” and appeared in the song’s video.

Read our 2017 exclusive interview with Phoebe Bridgers and check out our photo-shoot with her.

Pick up our current print issue (Issue 65) to read our interview with Bridgers and boygenius.

Better Oblivion Community Center Tour Dates:

5/01 - Oslo, Norway @ Rockerfeller
5/02 - Stockholm, Sweden @ Berns
5/03 - Copenhagen, Denmark @ Vega
5/05 - Berlin, Germany @ Columbia Theater
5/06 - Cologne, Germany @ Kantine
5/07 - Amsterdam, Netherlands @ Paradiso
5/08 - Antwerp, Belgium @ De Roma
5/10 - Bristol, UK @ 02 Academy Bristol
5/11 - London, UK @ Shepherd’s Bush Empire
5/12 - Manchester, UK @ Ritz
7/09 - Los Angeles, CA @ The Wiltern
8/09 - 08/11 - San Francisco, CA @ Outside Lands

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