Conor Oberst tried to stop his label from signing Creed, thought they were a “really bad Pearl Jam”
Conor Oberst has admitted that he once tried to stop his label from signing Creed, as he felt at the time that they were a “really bad Pearl Jam“.
Per Exclaim, Oberst – best known for his projects Bright Eyes and Desaparecidos – was a member of the short-lived emo band Commander Venus from 1995 to 1997. Their second album ‘The Uneventful Vacation’ was released on independent label Grass Records.
The label was acquired in 1997 by Alan and Diana Meltzer, who would change its name to Wind-Up Records, the label that would issue the debut album by Creed, 1997’s ‘My Own Prison’.
Prior to signing the post-grunge band, the Meltzer duo played some of Creed’s music to Oberst, who recalled the moment on podcast Broken Record. “They were sweet, but I remember them showing me Creed before it even came out. And I was like, ‘You guys — it sounds like a really bad Pearl Jam'”, Oberst said, adding that the duo disagreed with the singer-songwriter.
“The lady, Diana, she was like, ‘He’s like Jim Morrison. He’s the new Jim Morrison.’ I was like, ‘Guys…’ And then, sure enough, they put it out, and it’s the biggest thing in the world. So [that’s] another reason not to ever trust my judgement.” Watch the podcast episode below – skip to 06:15 for the portion about Creed.
In September, Bright Eyes announced that their remaining tour dates for 2024 were cancelled due to Oberst losing his voice.
“Over the past week, Conor has undergone multiple tests to determine the cause of his recent vocal problems,” their statement read. “It’s come to light that he has developed a condition that is exacerbated by excessive singing, requiring both treatment and recuperation.”
On the Broken Record episode, Oberst confirmed that the band will resume their touring schedule in January. Physically I feel a lot better than I did a couple of months ago,” he said, adding that he had a “problem with my esophagus” but he’s begun to practice singing since then.
The band released their eleventh studio album ‘Five Dice, All Threes’ this year. The new record saw Oberst and co. collaborate with artists including Cat Power, The National’s Matt Berninger and the So So Glos’ Alex Orange Drink.
Speaking about the project in a recent interview with NME, Oberst shared: “This time, I still hope the songs resonate and have equal amounts of meaning, but as far as the sounds and approach to the music, it’s a bit lighter.”
“The word ‘fun’ is very rarely used to describe my band, but maybe it is a bit more fun. When we last went on tour we were cruising around with a 14-piece band and strings and horns. This record is going to be just guitars; rock and roll stuff.”
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Daniel Peters
NME
