There Is No Beginning to the Story is an EP

Extended play

An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...

 by Bright Eyes. The songs on it are fairly varied, with "From a Balance Beam" and "Loose Leaves" having more electronic qualities, while "Messenger Bird's Song" and "We Are Free Men" are more rooted in acoustic. The 12" vinyl edition includes 2 extra songs: "Amy in the White Coat," a harrowing song about a father's sexual abuse of his daughter and "Out on the Weekend," a Neil Young

Neil Young

Neil Percival Young, OC, OM is a Canadian singer-songwriter who is widely regarded as one of the most influential musicians of his generation...

 cover.

This album is the 45th release of Saddle Creek Records

Saddle Creek Records

Saddle Creek Records is an American record label based in Omaha, Nebraska. Started as a college class project on entrepreneurship, the label was founded by Conor Oberst and Justin Oberst in 1993 . Conor soon turned over his role in the company to Robb Nansel...

.

Track listing

1. "From a Balance Beam"
2. "Messenger Bird's Song"
3. "We Are Free Men"
4. "Loose Leaves"
5. "Amy in the White Coat" (vinyl release only)
6. "Out on the Weekend" (Neil Young
   Neil Young
   Neil Percival Young, OC, OM is a Canadian singer-songwriter who is widely regarded as one of the most influential musicians of his generation...
   
   ) (vinyl release only)

Personnel

• Todd Baechle - Voice
• Kriss Brooks - Piano
• Stefanie Drootin
  Stefanie Drootin
  Stefanie Drootin is the bass guitarist for the band The Good Life on Saddle Creek Records. She also plays or has played in Bright Eyes, She and Him, McCarthy Trenching, Azure Ray, Orenda Fink and Maria Taylor.-Album Appearances:...
  
   - Organ
• Orenda Fink
  Orenda Fink
  Orenda Fink is a musician on Saddle Creek Records.Born in Birmingham, Alabama, Fink was half of the Southern dream pop duo Azure Ray from 2001 to 2004. Fink is also a former member of Now It's Overhead, another Saddle Creek band. She released her first full-length solo album Invisible Ones on...
  
   - Trumpet, Voice
• Margret Fish - Bassoon
• Jason Flatowicz - Trombone
• Simon Joyner
  Simon Joyner
  Simon Joyner is a singer-songwriter from Omaha, Nebraska, United States. Considered by some to be the forefather of the burgeoning Omaha music scene , he has profoundly influenced the music of Bright Eyes. Joyner also collaborated with John Darnielle, of The Mountain Goats, and Beck listed Joyner...
  
   - Voice, Good Advice
• Jiha Lee
  Jiha Lee
  Jiha Lee is the former keyboardist of the Good Life and has performed with Bright Eyes. Having left the Good Life after their second album, Black Out, she returned to record the track "Inmates" for Album of the Year. Her recordings with Bright Eyes include vocals and flute on tracks from Fevers...
  
   - Flute, Voice
• Andy Lemaster
  Andy LeMaster
  Andy LeMaster is an American singer-songwriter and producer/engineer from Athens, Georgia. His primary band is Now It's Overhead. LeMaster has engineered, produced, and performed in many of the releases on the Saddle Creek label, including records by Bright Eyes, Now It's Overhead, Azure Ray,...
  
   - Electric Guitars, Voice
• Clay Leverett - Voice
• Matt Maginn
  Matt Maginn
  Matt Maginn is a musician from Omaha, Nebraska. He plays bass guitar in the indie-rock band Cursive and is a frequent contributor on a number of Bright Eyes records...
  
   - Bass, Pylons
• Roslyn Maginn - Percussion
• Mike Mogis
  Mike Mogis
  Mike Mogis is a Nebraskan producer/engineer and multi-instrumentalist who, along with his brother A.J. Mogis, founded Presto! Recording Studios ....
  
   - Hammer Dulcimer, Vibraphone, Glockenspiel, Mandolin, Dobro, Banjo, Bells, Electric Guitars
• Conor Oberst
  Conor Oberst
  Conor Mullen Oberst is an American singer-songwriter best known for his work in Bright Eyes. He has also played in several other bands, including Desaparecidos, Norman Bailer , Commander Venus, Park Ave., Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band, and Monsters of Folk.-Musical career:Oberst began...
  
   - Guitars, Rhodes, Piano, Voice
• Casey Scott - Bass, Percussion
• Maria Taylor
  Maria Taylor
  Maria Diane Taylor is an American singer/songwriter from Birmingham, Alabama. She is also a member of the duo Azure Ray with Orenda Fink, as well as the band Now It's Overhead, both of which are signed with Saddle Creek Records...
  
   - Piano, Voice

Drum Corps

• Clark Baechle
  Clark Baechle
  Clark Alan Baechle is the drummer in the band The Faint. He also played in another Nebraskan band, Park Ave. He has also played on many releases and tours for Bright Eyes, playing drums and clarinet...
  
  
• Matt Focht
  Matt Focht
  Matt Focht is an American musician originally from Omaha, Nebraska. He is the lead singer and rhythm guitarist in the Chicago-based band Head of Femur...
  
  
• Clay Leverett
• Clint Schnase
  Clint Schnase
  Clint Schnase is a musician from Omaha, Nebraska. He played drums in the indie-rock band Cursive from 1996 until early 2007. His official departure was announced on October 21, 2007...
  
  
• Mike Sweeney
  Mike Sweeney (musician)
  Mike Sweeney is a musician from Omaha, Nebraska. He currently plays drums in the indie-rock band Criteria.-Bands:*Beep Beep*Bright Eyes*Criteria-Album Appearances:...
  
  

Production

• Mike Mogis
  Mike Mogis
  Mike Mogis is a Nebraskan producer/engineer and multi-instrumentalist who, along with his brother A.J. Mogis, founded Presto! Recording Studios ....
  
   - Recording, Mixing
• Andy Lemaster
  Andy LeMaster
  Andy LeMaster is an American singer-songwriter and producer/engineer from Athens, Georgia. His primary band is Now It's Overhead. LeMaster has engineered, produced, and performed in many of the releases on the Saddle Creek label, including records by Bright Eyes, Now It's Overhead, Azure Ray,...
  
   - Recording
• Doug Van Sloun - Mastering
• Zack Nipper
  Zack Nipper
  Zack Nipper is an artist from Omaha, Nebraska. He has designed several album covers by bands such as Bright Eyes, Criteria, Georgie James and Desaparecidos. Zack won "Best Recording Package" for his work on Bright Eyes' Cassadaga at the 2008 Grammy Awards, giving him, as well as Saddle Creek...
  
   - Diorama, Layout
• Matt Maginn
  Matt Maginn
  Matt Maginn is a musician from Omaha, Nebraska. He plays bass guitar in the indie-rock band Cursive and is a frequent contributor on a number of Bright Eyes records...
  
  - Layout