Q&A: Conor Oberst

Since the release of 2007's Cassadaga, Bright Eyes frontman Conor Oberst has been either touring or cruising around the country in his car. On his new solo disc — which isn't a Bright Eyes project because it doesn't feature longtime collaborator Mike Mogis — the Omaha, Nebraska, singer-songwriter reflects on road trips through Florida ("Cape Canaveral") and Northern California ("Sausalito"). And on "Moab," Oberst sings the mantra "There's nothing that the road cannot heal." To record the set, Oberst decamped to Mexico — musicians, girls and recording gear in tow. "I knew I didn't want to be in a studio," says Oberst, 28. "It was beautiful, warm and remote, and they didn't mind us making noise."

What was the daily routine in Mexico?
I like to sleep in late, but my room didn't have very dark blinds, so by noon the sun was wailin'. We'd eat some lunch and just play all afternoon. Sometimes we'd play real late — and sometimes we'd just make a bonfire, drink beer and look at the stars.

How was the studio set up?
The control room was a little room, but most of the time we sat on a porch where the piano was, because it didn't fit through the door. Ruben, whose family lives and works on the property, would hang out with us after his wife and daughter went to bed. His nightly ritual was to go out and blow a conch, so it seemed to make sense to record it and put it on a track ["Valle Mistico (Ruben's Song)"] on the album.

So it's a Conor Oberst record because Mike Mogis didn't play on it. But why is it called Conor Oberst?
Laziness. I just thought it didn't need a title. It wasn't a statement of any kind.

What's the latest on your project with Jim James and M. Ward?
We did some recording at Shangri-La in L.A. earlier this year. We're all on tour right now, and we'd need to get together again to finish it. I should also say that Mike Mogis is in the band too. It's so powerful and magical to be around those guys. It's like being in a band with three wizards.