Bright Eyes album 'I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning' goes gold

As Conor Oberst prepares to embark on another tour with his post-hardcore group Desaparecidos, as well as plotting a handful of solo shows along the way, his band Bright Eyes’ 2005 album I’m Wide Awake, It’s Morning has just been certified gold in the States.

Originally released along with the more electronic-leaning Digital Ash in a Digital Urn, the folk record has gone on to sell over 500,000 copies in CD, LP and digital formats. It’s the highest selling release from the band to date, as well as being the first gold album for Omaha-based Saddle Creek Records.

The RIAA (Recording Industry Association of America) confirmed the news yesterday, with Saddle Creek owner Robb Nansel remarking on the feat: “It reminds us that music can make a huge impact on people, on communities, on cities, and on the world at large.”

You can read Nansel’s open letter about the news in full here, and listen to lead cut ‘Lua’ below: