The cover arrives as Bright Eyes are preparing a complete reissue of their entire discography. Expanded and remastered editions of the band’s first three albums—A Collection of Songs Written and Recorded 1995-1997, Letting Off The Happiness, and Fevers and Mirrors—are all due out on May 27th via Dead Oceans. Each album will arrive alongside a companion EP featuring five reworked originals from the corresponding album in addition to a cover “of the era” when the LP was recorded.
For “St. Idles Heaven”, Oberst recruited his Better Oblivion Community Center bandmate, Phoebe Bridgers. Together, they transform the dour evening walk into an electrified sprint, weaving between parked cars and broken bottles. Bridgers’ vocals meet Oberst’s to give the song a tenderness that hints back to the version from Smith’s 1995 self-titled debut.
In addition to the covers, the Bright Eyes companion pieces will also hear Oberst and multi-instrumentalists Mike Mogis and Nathaniel Walcott revisit their earlier material and rework it entirely. The ambitious undertaking will yield 54 new Bright Eyes recordings over the coming year.
Listen to Bright Eyes cover Elliott Smith’s “St. Idles Heaven” with Phoebe Bridgers from the Letting Off The Happiness companion EP. Visit the band’s website to pre-order the three upcoming reissues. Bright Eyes are preparing for their first full-fledged North American tour in 11 years, set to begin tonight, March 23rd, at the Palace Theatre in St. Paul, MN. Scroll down for a full list of tour dates and click here for tickets.
Bright Eyes 2022 Tour
03-23 St. Paul, MN – Palace Theatre
03-24 Milwaukee, WI – The Riverside Theater
03-25 Madison, WI – The Sylvee
03-26 Chicago, IL – Chicago Theatre
03-27 Detroit, MI – The Cathedral Theatre at the Masonic
03-29 Indianapolis, IN – Egyptian Room
03-30 St. Louis, MO – The Pageant
03-31 Louisville, KY – Paristown Hall
04-01 Nashville, TN – Ryman Auditorium
04-02 Cleveland, OH – Agora Theatre
04-03 Columbus, OH – Express Live!
04-05 Pittsburgh, PA – Stage AE
04-06 Port Chester, NY – Capitol Theatre
04-07 Boston, MA – Roadrunner
04-08 Philadelphia, PA – The Met
04-09 Washington, D.C. – The Anthem
04-10 Norfolk, VA – The NorVa
05-19 Oklahoma City, OK – The Jones Assembly
05-20 Dallas, TX – The Factory in Deep Ellum
05-21 Austin, TX – ACL Live at the Moody Theater
05-22 Houston, TX – The Lawn at White Oak Music Hall
05-23 New Orleans, LA – Orpheum Theater
05-25 Charleston, SC – Charleston Music Hall
05-26 Orlando, FL – Hard Rock Live
05-27 Miami Beach, FL – Fillmore Miami Beach at Jackie Gleason Theater
05-28 St Augustine, FL – St. Augustine Amphitheatre
05-29 Atlanta, GA – The Eastern
05-31 Charlotte, NC – The Fillmore Charlotte
06-01 Cincinatti, OH – Brady Music Center *
06-02 Richmond, VA – Brown’s Island *
06-03 Ashbury Park, NJ – Stone Pony Summerstage *
06-04 New Haven, CT – College Street Music Hall *
06-05 Lafayette, NY – Beak and Skiff Apple Orchards *
06-15 Boise, ID – Knitting Factory
06-16 Spokane, WA – Knitting Factory
06-17 Seattle, WA – Paramount Theatre
06-18 Troutdale, OR – McMenamin’s Edgefield Amphitheatre
06-20 San Francisco, CA – The Masonic
06-23 Los Angeles, CA – Greek Theatre +
06-24 San Diego, CA – Soma
06-25 Phoenix, AZ – The Van Buren
06-28 Salt Lake City, UT – The Union
06-30 Denver, CO – The Mission Ballroom
07-01 Kansas City, MO – Uptown Theater
07-02 Omaha, NE – The Admiral
07-03 Omaha, NE – The Admiral
08-12 Oslo, Norway – Øyafestivalen 2022
08-14 Copenhagen, Denmark – Vega
08-16 Hamburg, Germany – Fabrik
08-17 Prague, Czech Republic – Lucerna Music Bar
08-19 Berlin, Germany – Tempodrom
08-20 Frankfurt, Germany – Batschkapp
08-22 Amsterdam, Netherlands – Paradiso
08-23 Cologne, Germany – Carlswerk Victoria
08-25 Vienna, Austria – Arena Open Air
08-26 Munich, Germany – Muffathalle
08-27 Zurich, Switzerland – X-Tra
08-30 London, England – Eventim Apollo
08-31 Manchester, England – O2 Apollo
09-01 Dublin, Ireland – Vicar Street
09-05 Birmingham, England – O2 Institute Birmingham
09-06 Glasgow, Scotland – Barrowland
* Alex G supporting
+ Cate Le Bon supporting
View Tour Dates