Bright Eyes’ Conor Oberst opens up about personal struggles: “I was really close to the edge”
Bright Eyes frontman Conor Oberst has opened up about his personal struggles in recent years and revealed he’s currently in a much healthier place.
Back in 2024, after Bright Eyes released their album, Five Dices, All Threes, they initially cancelled a short run of dates to promote the release due to Oberst losing his voice.
Subsequently, they cancelled all remaining dates for 2024, explaining to fans at the time, “It’s come to light that he has developed a condition that is exacerbated by excessive singing, requiring both treatment and recuperation.”
He later shed more light on the cancellations, telling the Los Angeles Times (via Stereogum) earlier this year, “I’m doing so much better. Made some lifestyle changes — I’m not gonna say I’m sober because I’m not. But I gave up the worst of it. I’m trying to go on with life and not dwell on it. But any kind of near-death experience, it does completely change your outlook on the world.”
Bright Eyes thankfully returned to the stage in 2025, and earlier this summer, they played huge shows at Red Rocks, the Hollywood Bowl, and Forest Hills Stadium in New York, which the weather did its best to ruin.
In a new interview with the New York Times’ Popcast, Oberst was asked about his “near-death experience” and while he didn’t go into the granular details, he explained that he was now in a healthy place.
The Bright Eyes singer shared, “I didn’t see the light or anything like that, but it was very real. I didn’t really feel happy or sad or anything like that. I actually had the meanest internal voice, being like, ‘Haven’t you wanted this your whole life, you fucking son of a bitch?'”
Oberst admitted, “When I was really close to the edge, there was nothing good about it. I could keep doing what I’m doing and probably be dead really fast, or I could change up my style and try to stay around and make more things and don’t be in such a hurry. Life’s so short.”
He also acknowledged, “People need me around, you know? My family need me around, my friends. It’s one of those things that I think people find different reasons to live for and all that sort of thing.”
The road ahead looks bright for Oberst, who will be performing with his band later this summer at the Maha Festival in Omaha and Riot Fest in Chicago, before they head out on a North American headline tour in October.
Watch Oberst on Popcast below.
For help, advice or more information regarding mental health issues in the UK, visit Mind, CALM or Samaritans. In the US, visit Samaritans USA.
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