Conor Oberst Opens Up About Personal Struggles: “I Was Really Close To The Edge”

Back in 2024, Bright Eyes canceled a bunch of tour dates, citing frontman Conor Oberst's vocal issues. At the time, there was plenty of speculation that Oberst was suffering from other problems as well, and he has basically confirmed that speculation. Oberst was having a hard time. These days, Oberst seems like he's doing much better, playing shows and selling pre-rolls and losing his own lookalike contest. Now, he's talking about how dark things got for him.Earlier this year, Oberst talked about his darkest moment in an LA Times interview, laughing that the issue wasn't his voice but that he "was not in good shape to sing." In that interview, he said:I’m doing so much better. Made some lifestyle changes — I’m not gonna say I’m sober because I’m not. But I gave up the worst of it. I’m trying to go on with life and not dwell on it. But any kind of near-death experience, it does completely change your outlook on the world.Bright Eyes are heading back out on tour this fall, and Oberst recently sat down with my guys Jon Caramanica and Joe Coscarelli on the latest edition of the New York Times Popcast. In the first moment from the interview that the Times people clipped, Coscarelli asks...