Bright Eyes and Cursive, two indie bands from Omaha, Nebraska, have released a new mashup single called “Recluse I Don’t Have To Love.” The track combines Bright Eyes’ 2002 song “Lover I Don’t Have To Love” with Cursive’s 2003 song “The Recluse.”
The idea for the collaboration started as an inside joke between the two bands. They had noticed the lyrical and musical similarities between their songs for years. Carly, who is married to Cursive’s Matt Maginn, suggested the mashup to Bright Eyes’ Conor Oberst while they were playing “Lover I Don’t Have To Love.”
The single’s release coincides with National Trans Day of Visibility.
All profits from the song will go to the Poison Oak Project. This is Bright Eyes’ non-profit organization that supports LGBTQ+ communities, with a focus on the trans community.
Indie bands collaborate on new single
Bright Eyes is currently on a North American tour to promote their latest album, “Five Dice, All Threes.” Cursive will join them as an opening act from April 3 to April 27. The tour includes stops in Madison, Chicago, Detroit, Toronto, and many other cities. After the U.S. tour, Bright Eyes will head to Europe for shows in the UK, Netherlands, Germany, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Belgium, Spain, and Portugal.
The European leg of the tour will run from June to July. “Recluse I Don’t Have To Love” is available now on the Bandcamp pages of both Bright Eyes and Cursive. Fans can also donate to the Poison Oak Project through their website.
