Check out Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band's video for "Souled Out!!!" off the new self-titled album. Both the song and the video rock, so we sat down with the Bright Eyes front man to discuss some of the video's details. Click the jump to read what Conor has to say about his sailboat tattoo, why he's reading a Grace McSorely comic book, and what's going on with the Monsters of Folk side project—the supergroup made up of My Morning Jacket front man Jim James, M. Ward, Mike Mogus, and Oberst. 

Conor on Comic Books:

So in the video for "Souled Out!!!" you're reading The Grace McSorely Comic Book. Why are reading that in the video?

Well, my friend Katie Murphy makes that comic book, and I think she's amazing. She makes a lot of comics and art. She's designed a lot of T-shirts for the band over the years. She lives out in New York now, be we kinda grew up together in Omaha. [It was] product placement.

Do you read a lot of comics?

I don't read too many comics; mostly I just like her stuff.

And the one you're reading in the video is about a girl in New York and all the fun shit she does?

Yeah, she wrote it and it's slightly autobiographical. Her family's pretty crazy. There's like five sisters and their dad is a real gruff Army guy. They're hilarious. She always had amazing stories.

Conor on Tattoos:

The video also features a shirtless Conor Oberst with a tattoo above your heart. I was wondering if you would tell us what that was about.

I do have a tattoo. I got it when I was 20 years old in Las Vegas.

Vegas…of course.

Yeah! So it's actually some wallpaper from my old house. I had to get my mom to rip a piece off and FedEx it to me.

Get outta here!

That was a pretty interesting conversation. I eventually just told her [about the tattoo plans] 'cause I couldn't really think of a good reason why she would have to send me the wallpaper.

And what's the wallpaper?

Oh, it's just like sailboats and a nautical theme.

I mean, when somebody talks about getting a tattoo in Las Vegas, you immediately think it's like getting married in Vegas, like it's an impulsive thing, but it doesn't sound that impulsive if FedEx is involved and all that.

Yeah, I decided like two days before with a friend of mine, Tad Stevens. He's in Cursive, The Life of the Working Class. So we got slightly…they're not matching tattoos, but it's kinda like blood brothers type thing.

I see. And he got his own wallpaper?

Yeah, we had to use a different pattern—he has an anchor.

Is that because you two spent a lot of time in your living room growing up?

No, no. We're just brothers.

Alright, cool.

Conor on the Monsters of Folk:

Can you give me an update on the Monsters of Folk? Have you guys been in the studio recently? I heard you were at Shangri La. Is that right?

Mm-hmm. We were back in the spring. We're actually all touring right now; I don't know when we'll get together again. We definitely need to get together again before the record will be finished. Hopefully things will work out and the stars align. I just sort of wait for it to come together. There's no way to force it; that's what's great about it. No one can really force their will, you know? It has to just sort of happen. That's what's exciting.

They're both so powerful, so magical that it's just nice to be around. I should say that Mike Mogus is in the band too.

Oh, a fourth member.

No one talks about that, but he's the fourth member. It's basically like being in a band with three wizards.

Awesome.

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