In the time when the world could use some good news, Bright Eyes have offered some. In March, they released “Persona Non Grata,” their first new music in nearly a decade. They also revealed plans for a new album, and now they have shared “Forced Convalescence,” another preview of their upcoming record. The Americana-influenced track gradually works its way to an apex before cooling off and ending the song on another build-up.
Conor Oberst says of the song:
“Anyone that’s been laid up in bed with an illness or an injury or anything like that, I think can relate to the first verse and the idea of you’re left with just your imagination. And then, yeah, where do you go from there? How do you maybe reconcile your physical condition with, I don’t know, a wider connection to the universe? I don’t know. I feel like my spirituality is — I can’t really point to anything that I am, but I do believe in some things, and the fact that everything’s connected, it’s something that I do honestly believe.”
Last month, the band gave fans an update about their schedule for the coming months, saying that while their touring plans have been interrupted, they will still release a new album. They wrote, “Strange days indeed. Just wanted to send our love and solidarity to everyone out there feeling alone, frightened and isolated. You are not alone. We are in this together. We, like so many others, had many plans for 2020. We will be releasing a new album this year no matter what. We also have lots of touring plans which we are now reassessing. We will keep you informed as things progress. We very much want to get on the road and hope to see you all in person sooner rather than later.”
Listen to “Forced Convalescence” above.
