Bright Eyes have released their first set of ‘Companion’ re-recordings – check them out below.
Earlier this year, Bright Eyes announced plans to reissue their entire back catalogue.
The band – comprised of Conor Oberst, Mike Mogis and Nate Walcot – will reissue all nine of their studio albums over the course of the project, together with a Companion EP for each LP that features new recordings of songs from the original release, plus a cover version from an artist they found particularly inspiring at the time.
Today (May 27), their first three albums – ‘A Collection Of Songs Written And Recorded 1995-1997’, 1998’s ‘Letting Off The Happiness’ and 2000 LP ‘Fevers And Mirrors’, have been shared.
“It’s a meaningful way to connect with the past that doesn’t feel totally nostalgic and self-indulgent,” Oberst said in a statement about the releases. “We are taking these songs and making them interesting to us all over again. I like that. I like a challenge. I like to be forced to do something that’s slightly hard, just to see if we can.”
Back in February, the band also shared new recordings of ‘Falling Out Of Love At This Volume’, ‘Contrast And Compare’ featuring Waxahatchee and ‘Haligh, Haligh, A Lie, Haligh’ with Phoebe Bridgers, from the six track Companion EPs all of which you can listen to here.
The band have also announced a series of UK, Ireland and shows in Europe kicking off in London on August 30. Their tour will also call at Manchester, Birmingham, Glasgow and Dublin. You can purchase tickets here.
They will play:
AUGUST
30 – London Eventim Apollo
31 – Manchester O2 Apollo
SEPTEMBER
1 – Dublin Vicar Street
5 – Birmingham O2 Institute
6 – Glasgow, Scotland – Barrowland
Bright Eyes are currently touring the US tour which also been expanded further to include shows on the west coast up until July. Further information about dates can be found here.