BLONDIAU: Some of your songs do have a more conceptually clear basis, though.

OBERST: Well, I guess the most obvious project [is my] band Desaparecidos, which is very much different; it’s like an art project. It’s like political punk, almost to the point of being cartoonish. That’s the point of it. That doesn’t really exist the way I feel like it should exist, and so I wanted to make it exist like that.

I love story songs. It’s just, for me, they’re harder to write, and sometimes they sound too intended or something. There was one song on Salutations called “Empty Hotel by the Sea,” which is definitely a story song, start to finish. It’s the story of basically two brothers; one’s trying to save the other. A guy’s in deep with some kind of mob situation, gets taken out, and that’s the end of the song. It’s a story song, but I don’t write those very often. It’s more stream of consciousness usually.

I think just getting stuff down when it’s happening is the best. Obviously, after the fact, you can tweak it, and make it all fit together. I don’t see any harm in letting whatever comes out come out of you, even if it’s sort of weird, or dark, or painful, or too embarrassing, or whatever. I feel like you might as well get it down for yourself. It can’t do anything but help you get to where you want to be by recognizing the thoughts that you’re having.

BLONDIAU: Different phases of your work seem to be reaching different people, different demographics, and they replenish themselves over time. Have you noticed that?

OBERST: I have noticed that in recent years. I think it’s by virtue of how long I’ve been doing it. This is probably a little presumptuous, because I don’t think my record is as good as their record, [but] I always say Fevers and Mirrors [2000] is like the first Violent Femmes record—not as good, but in the sense of when you’re a freshman in high school, somebody gives you a copy of it. There are all of these angsty teenage people who connect with that version, or that era, of my music.

I obviously have done a bunch of different stuff since then, so we have weird jam band-y fans that love the Mystic Valley Band. There are the NPR 50, 60-year-olds at the show, which is awesome. I love seeing that. Looking out and seeing a 65-year-old couple at your show is amazing.

BLONDIAU: I’ve seen you play in Europe and in the U.S., and I found them to be very different experiences due to the different fans you have in those places.

OBERST: Yeah, there are always going to be different vibes. I feel like I need to become a better performer in the sense that I let [the crowd and the atmosphere] affect me too much. Whatever it is: people are talking too much, if people are too reserved, or too crazy. I feel like it can throw me off. Whereas if you’re a true worker in song, a true showman, you should be able to get out there and do your thing no matter what’s going on. I’m not that, unfortunately. Shit pisses me off.