Back in 2015, Conor Oberst (frontman of the reunited Bright Eyes) and his housemate Miwi La Lupa were inspired to create their own country covers band, inspired by a 1972 compilation album, Them Old Country Songs, that Conor had become hooked on. After convincing Corina Figueroa Escamilla (Conor's then-wife) to join the group as their frontwoman (under an adopted stage name, Dolores Diaz), and enlisting the musical support of a handful of friends and frequent collaborators — including Mike Mogis, Roger Lewis (The Good Life), Matt Maginn (Cursive), Dan McCarthy (McCarthy Trenching), Ben Brodin, Phil Schaffart, and Jim Schroder — Dolores Diaz & the Standby Club was born.

The group was short-lived, playing only five real gigs, but two of those, one from September 2018 and the other from January 2016, are documented in their upcoming album, Live at O'Leaver's, due out on December 11th via Cursive's label 15 Passenger, and on vinyl on April 9th.

The group performs a collection of covers on the record, with some inspired directly by Them Old Country Songs, including Porter Wagoner and Dolly Parton's "Just Someone I Used To Know," Jerry Reed's "Amos Moses," Connie Smith's "Once A Day," Tammy Wynette's "Your Good Girl's Gonna Go Bad," Loretta Lynn’s "Don't Come Home A-Drinkin' (With Lovin' on Your Mind)," and Patsy Cline's "Crazy." It also features the group's country twist on Bob Dylan's "You Ain’t Goin' Nowhere" and Randy Newman's "Jolly Coppers on Parade." See the full tracklist below.

"Playing with the Standby Club is pure joy," Conor says. "There is a unique thrill in learning all those classic songs and getting to perform them with a giant band of old friends. And on top of that, it was amazing to watch Corina embrace her alter ego. She is normally a pretty reserved person, but when she slipped on those cowboy boots and stepped on stage she instantly transformed into Dolores and always blew the roof off the place. We all had so much fun and I think you can hear and feel that on these recordings."

Today, two songs from the album — the Dylan cover, which features Conor on lead vocals, and Corina's powerful rendition of Loretta Lynn's "Don't Come Home A-Drinkin' (With Lovin' On Your Mind)" —- are streaming, and you can hear them below, and pre-order the record here.

Live at O’Leaver’s Tracklist

1. Your Good Girl’s Gonna Go Bad – Tammy Wynette
2. Once a Day – Connie Smith
3. The Weather is a Dead Man – Dan Reeder
4. Is Anybody Goin’ to San Antone – Charley Pride
5. Jolly Coppers on Parade – Randy Newman
6. Amos Moses – Jerry Reed
7. Just Someone I Used to Know – Porter Wagoner, Dolly Parton
8. Don't Come Home A-Drinkin' (With Lovin' on Your Mind) – Loretta Lynn
9. You Ain’t Goin’ Nowhere – Bob Dylan
10. So Long, Charlie Brown, Don’t Look for Me Around – Sammi Smith
11. Crazy – Patsy Cline
12. Stay All Night (Stay A Little Longer) – Bob Wills and the Texas Playboys / Willie Nelson