Bright Eyes Reveal '1st World Blues'

07-22-2025

(TOC) Continuing what has so far been a triumphant year of touring and new music, Bright Eyes has surprise-released a new single "1st World Blues." The song, which makes a case for a fourth wave of ska, sees frontman Conor Oberst lamenting the current state of the world with its biting takedown of contemporary American capitalism, propelled by gang vocals and an infectious off-beat rhythm.

"1st World Blues" introduces a new sonic dimension from Bright Eyes and comes with a music video directed by Jared Sherbert, with animations by Sparks Studios. The video, which was shot on a hot summer day in Brooklyn, NY, features familiar faces like pro skater Nelly Morville, The So So Glos and producer/musician/mixer Adam Reich, while introducing a new star-in-the-making: Butter the dog.

"'1st World Blues' is an homage to ska in all its waves," says Bright Eyes. "From Desmond Decker to Tim Armstrong, we're just happy to add our track to the bin. The video is inspired by NYC 90s hip hop, which like ska, has a long tradition of unifying people & using celebratory music to convey subversive political themes. To be played loud. Windows down. Summertime."

Bright Eyes' high-octane, coast-to-coast North American tour will pick up again on August 26 in Ojai, CA, before heading to Vancouver and then Seattle for Bumbershoot Festival. In November, the band will head to Asia for rare performances in Singapore, Osaka and Tokyo.

In May, the trio celebrated the 25th anniversary of their beloved 2000 album Fevers & Mirrors with a powerful new recording of the album's plaintive closing track "A Song To Pass The Time", available exclusively on Bandcamp. Bright Eyes also teamed up with longtime friends and collaborators Cursive to release "Recluse I Don't Have to Love," a mashup of their modern classic fan favorites "Lover I Don't Have To Love" (by Bright Eyes) and "The Recluse" (by Cursive). The mashup was released on National Trans Day of Visibility, with all profits going to The Poison Oak Project.

Bright Eyes on Tour:
Tuesday, Aug 26 - Ojai, CA - Libbey Bowl
Wednesday, Aug 27 - Sonoma, CA - Gundlach Bundschu Winery
Thursday, Aug 28 - Forest Grove, OR - McMenamins Grand Lodge
Friday, Aug 29 - Vancouver, BC - Malkin Bowl
Saturday, Aug 30 - Seattle, WA - Bumbershoot 2025
Monday, Sep 1 - Boise, ID - Treefort Music Hall
Tuesday, Sep 2 - Salt Lake City, UT - The Depot
Wednesday, Sep 3 - Las Vegas, NV - House of Blues Las Vegas
Thursday, Nov 27 - Singapore, Singapore - Capitol Theatre
Wednesday, Dec 3 - Osaka, Japan - Yogibo META VALLEY
Thursday, Dec 4 - Tokyo, Japan - EX THEATER ROPPONGI