Better Oblivion Community Center

Lore & Background

Oberst and Bridgers first met in July 2016, when she performed at a secret showcase he was hosting at the Bootleg Theater in Los Angeles. A mutual friend told Oberst that Bridgers was his favorite songwriter in LA at the time, so he invited her to play and was so impressed that he immediately asked her to send him the record she was working on. She then opened for him on his European Ruminations tour in January 2017, and they continued to collaborate consistently over the following two years, including joint appearances at each other's shows across the U.S.

The initial idea of forming the band apparently stemmed from Bridgers complimenting a cover Oberst had done of a Replacements song one night, and him replying that they should start a band and sound like the Replacements. When they first started writing together, they hadn't planned on putting out a record, and they thought they might be writing for one of each other's solo efforts or for a third party. Bridgers has said that it's common for Oberst to dream up 'fake bands', so she didn't know that he was being serious until they had written 'like, five songs'.

The duo released their album with only a day of official notice and featured no promotional singles beforehand, which Bridgers explains was an effort to avoid people 'making assumptions about what the entire record sounds like', since the songs are each so different. They performed on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert and CBS This Morning, and filmed a segment at the NPR Tiny Desk. Their tour included the U.S. and Europe, and they released the single 'Little Trouble' toward the end of their U.S. tour in April 2019.

Reader's Guide

Better Oblivion Community Center represents a notable collaboration between two prominent figures in indie rock, Conor Oberst and Phoebe Bridgers, who combined their distinct songwriting styles into a cohesive project. The duo's approach to releasing their debut album—with cryptic brochures, a phone hotline, and only a day's notice—reflected a desire to let the music speak without preconceptions. Their significance lies in how they created a separate identity from their solo careers, allowing for a sound that differed from both Oberst's work with Bright Eyes and Bridgers' solo output. The project's brief but active period in 2019 produced a critically well-received album and a series of live performances, including television appearances and a tour. After their final show in August 2019, both artists resumed their independent careers, but the duo briefly reunited during Bridgers' virtual concert in October 2020 and again in August 2023 when Bridgers performed a Better Oblivion song live for the first time since the 2019 tour. The project remains a touchstone for fans of both artists, illustrating how collaborative side projects can yield distinctive work.

Did You Know?

• The duo's debut album was released with only a day of official notice and no promotional singles beforehand.
• The band's name was inspired by Oberst's habit of dreaming up 'fake bands'.
• They released a synth-pop version of their song 'Sleepwalkin'' alongside the single 'Little Trouble'.
• Bridgers performed a Better Oblivion song live for the first time since 2019 in August 2023.