Conor Oberst Finds Trump Era ‘Almost Impossible’ to Write About

Conor Oberst said he is finding it “almost impossible” to channel his early 2000s protest songwriter voice in the Trump era, during an interview with the New York Times’ “Popcast” posted Thursday.

When asked how his approach to folk and protest songs differs under President Donald Trump compared to George W. Bush, Oberst explained the challenge: “You can’t satirize, or whatever, what’s already like a parody” or a “disgusting, gross cartoon.” He added that the absurdity of the current political environment makes it difficult to write about directly.

In the 2000s, Oberst vocally tackled social issues in his music and onstage, notably criticizing Bush’s policies and the war in Iraq. His song “When the President Talks to God,” performed on late-night television, became a defining moment of opposition to that administration and a continuation of the American protest song tradition.

Oberst acknowledged that the current political climate “permeates like everything I write,” but said attempting to write directly toward it has proven nearly impossible. “It’s such just an avalanche of insanity,” he said. He also cited fear as a broader reason for the lack of protest music: “I think people are scared. I think they have gone out of their way to try to intimidate all of us.”

Tour dates: Bright Eyes performs at Maha Festival in Omaha, Nebraska on August 8 and Riot Fest in Chicago on September 18, followed by a U.S. tour beginning October 3 in Minneapolis at First Avenue, with stops in Detroit, Cincinnati, Philadelphia, Washington DC, Asheville, Atlanta, Nashville, New Orleans, Austin, Dallas, Kansas City, and St. Louis through October 18.