I talk to Conor Oberst of Bright Eyes about Jackson Browne, emo, being a child among the Saddle Creek teens, showing ambition in a slacker scene, Pitchfork reviews, a wild story behind “Soul Singer in a Session Band," his songs making sense to him but maybe not to you, Conor’s media diet, listening to audiobooks about feathers, do people pay too much attention to politics now?, AI and Chat GPT, The Faint being ahead of their time, could he write “First Day of My Life” on command?, long songs and “Let’s Not Shit Ourselves,” using SAT words in lyrics, that perfect Waxahatchee record, the next batch of companion EPs, opening for Paramore at the Emo Fest, that cancelled Houston show, writing songs to impress Tim Kasher, Todd Fink and Ted Stevens, leaving Saddle Creek, how to get into the band Superchunk, what does Conor Oberst think of 311?, Rage Against the Machine vs. Limp Bizkit, Down in the Weeds, feeling like The Beatles on the Wide Awake tour... not so much on the Digital Ash tour… and then we meet his dog Petra and say goodbye!

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