Bon Iver
Encyclopedia
Bon Iver is a Grammy nominated folk
band founded in 2007 by American indie folk
singer-songwriter
Justin Vernon. It includes Michael Noyce, Sean Carey
, and Matthew McCaughan. Vernon released Bon Iver's debut album, For Emma, Forever Ago
independently in July 2007. The majority of that album was recorded while Vernon spent three months in a remote cabin in northwestern Wisconsin
. The name Bon Iver is derived from the French phrase bon hiver (bɔn‿ivɛːʁ), meaning "good winter" or "have a good winter".
(drums, vocals, piano), Michael Noyce (vocals, baritone guitar, guitar) and Matthew McCaughan (bass, drums, vocals). Noyce was Vernon's guitar student during high school.
Carey approached Vernon during one of the first Bon Iver shows, telling him he could play and sing all the songs. Thereafter, the two played a number of them together. McCaughan and Vernon met while on tour with indie-rock band The Rosebuds
in May 2007.
Because of the extensive use of vocal harmony on the songs of For Emma, Forever Ago, Vernon was concerned that there would not be enough voices to duplicate the sound of the songs on the album in a live setting. To compensate for this problem in early performances, Vernon passed out lyrics for some songs to the audience to sing along to. In an interview with Pitchfork
, Vernon described this dilemma. "I don't want to be the guy with an acoustic guitar singing songs, because that's boring for the most part. The song actually needs 80–500 people singing or whatever the vibe is of that room, it needs that fight".
Bon Iver performed at Lollapalooza
2009. Bon Iver has also performed at Austin City Limits Music Festival
, Bonnaroo
, Glastonbury
, Øyafestivalen
, Way Out West
and Sasquatch!
, among others.
, a relationship, and a bout with mononucleosis
, Vernon left Raleigh
, North Carolina, and moved back to Wisconsin to spend the oncoming winter months at his father's cabin in the state's northwoods. According to Vernon, it was during this time that the "Bon Iver" moniker first entered his mind; while bedridden with mononucleosis, he began watching the television series Northern Exposure
on DVD. One episode depicts a group of citizens in Alaska, where the show is set, emerging from their homes into the first snowfall of the winter and wishing one another a "bon hiver" (French for "good winter"). This was initially transcribed by Vernon as "boniverre"; however, when he learned of its proper French spelling, he elected not to use it, deciding "hiver" reminded him too much of "liver", the site of his illness at the time.
Vernon did not intend to write or record any music during the time but rather to recuperate from the events of the previous year. Eventually a record began to evolve during this cathartic time of isolation. He had recently finished helping the band The Rosebuds
do some recording and had with him some basic recording gear when he made his move to the cabin. Vernon played all the instruments during recording and each song was heavily edited with a large number of overdubs. Vernon wrote the lyrics for the album by recording a word-less melody and listening to the recording over and over while writing words according to the sound of the syllables of the melody. In an interview, Vernon said: "Words like 'decision' and 'intention' aren't words that float in my head because I just went", Vernon explains. "I left North Carolina and went up there because I didn't know where else to go and I knew that I wanted to be alone and I knew that I wanted to be where it was cold". In another interview, Vernon describes what he used to record the album: "I had a very light set-up, a basic small recording set-up: a Shure SM57 and an old Silvertone guitar. I had my brother drop off his old drums... some other small things – things I would make or find lying around."
The record was almost not released and was originally intended as a group of demos to be sent out to labels and potentially rerecorded. But after getting very encouraging reactions from a number of his friends, Vernon decided to release the songs himself in their present state. According to his manager Kyle Frenette, an initial run of 500 CDs were pressed. The original CD release show took place at the House on the Rock
in Spring Green, Wisconsin
. Justin played an earlier "all-ages" show and an evening 21+ show to release the original pressing of the album in its card stock CD case. Of the 500 copies issued, 17 were sent to press, mainly blogs. The first significant attention the album received was from My Old Kentucky Blog in June 2007, after which point "it snowballed", according to manager Frenette. Another further breakthrough came when, in October 2007, the album received a very positive review from influential indie internet publication Pitchfork
. That exposure in turn led to a performance the same month at the industry showcase festival CMJ Music Marathon
. The appearance attracted a lot of label interest and Frenette later told HitQuarters
that they subsequently spoke to a lot of different record companies, both independent and major. Out of all of them they decided to sign with the indie Jagjaguwar
because their ideals were the closest match to their own. The signing was confirmed on October 29th.
"For Emma, Forever Ago" was given an official release by Jagjaguwar. Vernon has said that he will continue to make albums without engineers and producers because he is capable of doing it all himself. During this time the album was streamed in full on the social media site Virb
.
on February 19, 2008, For Emma, Forever Ago has garnered critical acclaim. The album was released in the UK and Europe by iconic indie label
4AD
on May 12, 2008. When released in the UK, For Emma, Forever Ago received 5/5 and "Album of the Month" reviews in both Mojo
and Uncut
magazines. It was the seventh highest rated album of 2008 on review-aggregator site Metacritic
, with accolades from publications including The Village Voice
, The Hartford Courant
and The A.V. Club
. Pitchfork Media
gave the album 29th place in its "The Top 200 Albums of 2000s" list, while Stereogum
placed the album at 11 on its "Best Album of the '00s" list.
The digital download track "Skinny Love" was selected to be iTunes (UK) single of the week and was available for free during that time, as well as being featured as the track of the day on National Public Radio. Bon Iver was ranked number 8 on Last.fm
's most listened to new music of 2008. Bon Iver's For Emma, Forever Ago was ranked number 29 in Rolling Stone
s list of the Top 50 Albums of 2008. In an interview, Vernon said: "I'm really humbled by everything and am keeping things in perspective." On May 19, 2008, "Blindsided" and "Flume" were featured in The CW series One Tree Hill
. On October 6, 2008, "Skinny Love" was featured in the NBC series Chuck
(season 2, episode 3
).
On December 11, 2008, Bon Iver performed "Skinny Love" on the Late Show with David Letterman
. On January 26, 2009, "Skinny Love" was announced at #21 by the Australian national radio station Triple J
in the annual Hottest 100 countdown of the previous year's best songs. In July 2009, "Skinny Love" was announced at #92 in Triple J
's Hottest 100 of All Time countdown. Additionally, the track "Flume" has been used by the BBC to advertise their Jimmy McGovern
-penned drama series The Street; the song "Creature Fear" was used in a 2009 episode of the NBC series Chuck (season 2, episode 21) and the track "Blood Bank" was used in another Chuck episode (season 2, episode 18
); the track "Skinny Love" was featured in another episode of Chuck (season 2, episode 3), as well as in the ABC drama Grey's Anatomy
; "The Wolves (Act I and II)" was used in the first season of The United States of Tara
; "Re:Stacks" was featured in the Fox drama House
, as was "Flume" on May 16, 2011; and "Woods" was used in the eighth episode of Skins
' third series and appeared on the Series 3 soundtrack.
In 2009 Bon Iver, along with St. Vincent, contributed the song "Rosyln" to the New Moon soundtrack. Bon Iver also contributed "Brackett, WI" to the AIDS benefit album Dark Was the Night
produced by the Red Hot Organization
.
In 2010 Bon Iver collaborated with Kanye West
on the track "Lost In the World". The track begins with a sample of the Bon Iver track "Woods". He also contributed vocals to the West track "Monster". Both tracks are featured on West's album My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy. Then in March 2011, Justin Vernon performed at SXSW with GOOD Music
, later confirming that the band signed to the label.
Josh Jackson reviewed Bon Iver for Paste
, saying, "It retains the beautiful melancholy of For Emma, but in nearly every way, it’s just more. More layered, more diverse, more interesting. He brings in collaborators to do what they do best, but never at the expense of his sound and vision. It treads into new sonic directions without getting lost." He gave the album a score of nine out of ten.
was released on June 21, 2011. On March 23, 2011, Justin Vernon told Rolling Stone
that a follow up of For Emma, Forever Ago would be released in June. Bon Iver's second album was rumored to be titled Letters for Marvin but was later confirmed to be Bon Iver. The album is composed of 10 songs and takes a new musical direction: “I brought in a lot of people to change my voice — not my singing voice, but my role as the author of this band, this project,” says Vernon, who hired well-known players like bass saxophonist
Colin Stetson
and pedal-steel guitarist Greg Leisz
. “I built the record myself, but I allowed those people to come in and change the scene.” The second album is described as an "ambitious musical departure" from the first. Prior to the album's release, Vernon said that each song on the new album represents a place. The song "Perth" was described as a "Civil War-sounding heavy metal song," the song "Minnesota, WI" was described as featuring "finger-picked guitars, double bass drums and distorted bass saxophone," and the closing song "Beth/Rest" will be "horn heavy."
The album was recorded in a remodeled veterinarian clinic in Fall Creek, Wisconsin
, which was bought by Vernon and his brother in 2008. It was converted into April Base Studios, built mainly over the defunct swimming pool attached to the clinic. Vernon's reason for recording in the location was that "[it's] been a wonderful freedom, working in a place we built. It's also only three miles from the house I grew up in, and just ten minutes from the bar where my parents met."
On April 20, Bon Iver announced details of the self-titled release through the official Jagjaguwar and 4AD websites. The artwork for the album was also released, painted by the American artist Gregory Euclide
. Gregory also released two YouTube
videos entitled the "Making of Bon Iver Album Art".
Over one month before the album release date, the album was accidentally made available for purchase on the iTunes Music Store on May 23. Apple removed the item from the store, but not before a handful of users were able to purchase and download it. There was no comment from Apple, the artist, or his label. However, the lyrics to the album were promptly uploaded to their record site.
In late August of 2011, critically acclaimed English post-dubstep musician and singer-songwriter
James Blake
uploaded a track called "Fall Creek Boys Choir
" to his YouTube channel. The track was a collaboration with Bon Iver. The track was released as the first single from Blake's EP Enough Thunder
and was also included on the deluxe edition of his self-titled debut album
.
On November 30, the band earned four nominations for the 54th Grammy Awards
including Best New Artist
, Best Alternative Music Album
for their self-titled album Bon Iver, and Song of the Year
for "Holocene
" and Record of the Year
for "Bon Iver".
Folk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
band founded in 2007 by American indie folk
Indie folk
Indie folk is a music genre that arose in the 1990s from singer/songwriters in the indie rock community showing heavy influences from folk music scenes of the 50s, 60s and early 70s, country music, and indie rock. A few early artists included Lou Barlow, Beck, Jeff Buckley and Elliott Smith...
singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriters are musicians who write, compose and sing their own musical material including lyrics and melodies. As opposed to contemporary popular music singers who write their own songs, the term singer-songwriter describes a distinct form of artistry, closely associated with the...
Justin Vernon. It includes Michael Noyce, Sean Carey
S. Carey
S. Carey is the moniker of musician Sean Carey of Eau Claire, Wisconsin. Carey is best known as the drummer and supporting vocalist of indie folk band Bon Iver...
, and Matthew McCaughan. Vernon released Bon Iver's debut album, For Emma, Forever Ago
For Emma, Forever Ago
For Emma, Forever Ago is the debut album from Wisconsin band Bon Iver. It was self-released in 2007 and received wider release on the Jagjaguwar label in February 2008...
independently in July 2007. The majority of that album was recorded while Vernon spent three months in a remote cabin in northwestern Wisconsin
Wisconsin
Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is...
. The name Bon Iver is derived from the French phrase bon hiver (bɔn‿ivɛːʁ), meaning "good winter" or "have a good winter".
Live performance
Justin Vernon is joined live by Sean CareyS. Carey
S. Carey is the moniker of musician Sean Carey of Eau Claire, Wisconsin. Carey is best known as the drummer and supporting vocalist of indie folk band Bon Iver...
(drums, vocals, piano), Michael Noyce (vocals, baritone guitar, guitar) and Matthew McCaughan (bass, drums, vocals). Noyce was Vernon's guitar student during high school.
Carey approached Vernon during one of the first Bon Iver shows, telling him he could play and sing all the songs. Thereafter, the two played a number of them together. McCaughan and Vernon met while on tour with indie-rock band The Rosebuds
The Rosebuds
The Rosebuds are an indie rock band from Raleigh, North Carolina, United States. Its current members are Ivan Howard and Kelly Crisp...
in May 2007.
Because of the extensive use of vocal harmony on the songs of For Emma, Forever Ago, Vernon was concerned that there would not be enough voices to duplicate the sound of the songs on the album in a live setting. To compensate for this problem in early performances, Vernon passed out lyrics for some songs to the audience to sing along to. In an interview with Pitchfork
Pitchfork Media
Pitchfork Media, usually known simply as Pitchfork or P4k, is a Chicago-based daily Internet publication established in 1995 that is devoted to music criticism and commentary, music news, and artist interviews. Its focus is on underground and independent music, especially indie rock...
, Vernon described this dilemma. "I don't want to be the guy with an acoustic guitar singing songs, because that's boring for the most part. The song actually needs 80–500 people singing or whatever the vibe is of that room, it needs that fight".
Bon Iver performed at Lollapalooza
Lollapalooza
Lollapalooza is an annual music festival featuring popular alternative rock, heavy metal, punk rock and hip hop bands, dance and comedy performances, and craft booths. It has also provided a platform for non-profit and political groups. The music festival hosts more than 160,000 people over a...
2009. Bon Iver has also performed at Austin City Limits Music Festival
Austin City Limits Music Festival
The Austin City Limits Music Festival is an annual three-day American music festival that takes place in Austin, Texas at the city's central public park, Zilker Park...
, Bonnaroo
2009 Bonnaroo Music Festival
The 2009 Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival was held June 11–14, 2009 at a farm in Manchester, Tennessee, . There were roughly 75,000 people in attendance....
, Glastonbury
Glastonbury Festival 2009
The 2009 Glastonbury Festival of Contemporary Performing Arts was held from 24–29 June 2009.- Registration :In a similar way to previous festivals, tickets for the 2009 event required pre-registration through the festival website...
, Øyafestivalen
Øyafestivalen
Øyafestivalen is an annual Norwegian music festival held in Middelalderparken , Oslo. It has grown quickly since its modest start in 1999 with an audience of 1000 people in one day, and has now become one of Norway's biggest festivals....
, Way Out West
Way Out West Festival
Way Out West is a three-day music festival held in Gothenburg, Sweden, during August that plays host to a variety of popular music artists mainly from the rock, electronic and hip-hop genres...
and Sasquatch!
Sasquatch! Music Festival
Sasquatch! Music Festival is a music festival held annually at the Gorge Amphitheatre in George, Washington. It is presented by the House of Blues. There is an emphasis on indie rock bands and singer-songwriters, although there are also alternative rock, hip hop and comedy acts...
, among others.
For Emma, Forever Ago
After the breakup of the band DeYarmond EdisonDeYarmond Edison
DeYarmond Edison is perhaps best known as the former band of the members of Bon Iver and Megafaun. Guitarist and vocalist Justin Vernon created Bon Iver; the remaining members went on to form the freak folk group Megafaun.-History and Breakup:The band began as friends from Eau Claire, Wisconsin,...
, a relationship, and a bout with mononucleosis
Infectious mononucleosis
Infectious mononucleosis is an infectious, widespread viral...
, Vernon left Raleigh
Raleigh, North Carolina
Raleigh is the capital and the second largest city in the state of North Carolina as well as the seat of Wake County. Raleigh is known as the "City of Oaks" for its many oak trees. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the city's 2010 population was 403,892, over an area of , making Raleigh...
, North Carolina, and moved back to Wisconsin to spend the oncoming winter months at his father's cabin in the state's northwoods. According to Vernon, it was during this time that the "Bon Iver" moniker first entered his mind; while bedridden with mononucleosis, he began watching the television series Northern Exposure
Northern Exposure
Northern Exposure is an American television series that ran on CBS from 1990 to 1995, with a total of 110 episodes.-Overview:The series was given a pair of consecutive Peabody Awards: in 1991–92 for the show's "depict[ion] in a comedic and often poetic way, [of] the cultural clash between a...
on DVD. One episode depicts a group of citizens in Alaska, where the show is set, emerging from their homes into the first snowfall of the winter and wishing one another a "bon hiver" (French for "good winter"). This was initially transcribed by Vernon as "boniverre"; however, when he learned of its proper French spelling, he elected not to use it, deciding "hiver" reminded him too much of "liver", the site of his illness at the time.
Vernon did not intend to write or record any music during the time but rather to recuperate from the events of the previous year. Eventually a record began to evolve during this cathartic time of isolation. He had recently finished helping the band The Rosebuds
The Rosebuds
The Rosebuds are an indie rock band from Raleigh, North Carolina, United States. Its current members are Ivan Howard and Kelly Crisp...
do some recording and had with him some basic recording gear when he made his move to the cabin. Vernon played all the instruments during recording and each song was heavily edited with a large number of overdubs. Vernon wrote the lyrics for the album by recording a word-less melody and listening to the recording over and over while writing words according to the sound of the syllables of the melody. In an interview, Vernon said: "Words like 'decision' and 'intention' aren't words that float in my head because I just went", Vernon explains. "I left North Carolina and went up there because I didn't know where else to go and I knew that I wanted to be alone and I knew that I wanted to be where it was cold". In another interview, Vernon describes what he used to record the album: "I had a very light set-up, a basic small recording set-up: a Shure SM57 and an old Silvertone guitar. I had my brother drop off his old drums... some other small things – things I would make or find lying around."
The record was almost not released and was originally intended as a group of demos to be sent out to labels and potentially rerecorded. But after getting very encouraging reactions from a number of his friends, Vernon decided to release the songs himself in their present state. According to his manager Kyle Frenette, an initial run of 500 CDs were pressed. The original CD release show took place at the House on the Rock
House on the Rock
The House on the Rock, originally opened in 1959, is a complex of architecturally unique rooms, streets, gardens and shops designed by Alex Jordan, Jr...
in Spring Green, Wisconsin
Spring Green, Wisconsin
Spring Green is a village in Sauk County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 1,444 at the 2000 census. The village is located within the Town of Spring Green.-Geography:Spring Green is located at ....
. Justin played an earlier "all-ages" show and an evening 21+ show to release the original pressing of the album in its card stock CD case. Of the 500 copies issued, 17 were sent to press, mainly blogs. The first significant attention the album received was from My Old Kentucky Blog in June 2007, after which point "it snowballed", according to manager Frenette. Another further breakthrough came when, in October 2007, the album received a very positive review from influential indie internet publication Pitchfork
Pitchfork Media
Pitchfork Media, usually known simply as Pitchfork or P4k, is a Chicago-based daily Internet publication established in 1995 that is devoted to music criticism and commentary, music news, and artist interviews. Its focus is on underground and independent music, especially indie rock...
. That exposure in turn led to a performance the same month at the industry showcase festival CMJ Music Marathon
CMJ Music Marathon
CMJ Music Marathon & Film Festival is put on by CMJ Network. CMJ Music Marathon & Film Festival 2010 is scheduled for October 19–23 and will be headquartered at New York University and other downtown NYC venues.- History :...
. The appearance attracted a lot of label interest and Frenette later told HitQuarters
HitQuarters
HitQuarters is an international music industry publication and contact database founded in 1999. It is noted for in-depth interviews with industry figures, with past subjects including Simon Cowell, Martin Kierszenbaum, Jason Flom, Diane Warren, Peter Edge, Ron Fair and RedOne, as well as its A&R...
that they subsequently spoke to a lot of different record companies, both independent and major. Out of all of them they decided to sign with the indie Jagjaguwar
Jagjaguwar
Jagjaguwar is an indie rock record label based in Bloomington, Indiana.-History:In 1996, in Charlottesville, Virginia, friends of Darius Van Arman who performed in a band under the moniker The Curious Digit had just recorded a new album, but they were signed to no label...
because their ideals were the closest match to their own. The signing was confirmed on October 29th.
"For Emma, Forever Ago" was given an official release by Jagjaguwar. Vernon has said that he will continue to make albums without engineers and producers because he is capable of doing it all himself. During this time the album was streamed in full on the social media site Virb
Virb
Virb is a social networking website launched on Friday, March 9, 2007 by Unborn Media, and acquired by Media Temple in June 2008. Users receive a personal profile page where they can post blogs, photographs and videos...
.
Reception
Since being released by JagjaguwarJagjaguwar
Jagjaguwar is an indie rock record label based in Bloomington, Indiana.-History:In 1996, in Charlottesville, Virginia, friends of Darius Van Arman who performed in a band under the moniker The Curious Digit had just recorded a new album, but they were signed to no label...
on February 19, 2008, For Emma, Forever Ago has garnered critical acclaim. The album was released in the UK and Europe by iconic indie label
Record label
In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. Most commonly, a record label is the company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the production, manufacture, distribution, marketing and promotion,...
4AD
4AD
4AD is a British independent record label that was started in 1979 by Ivo Watts-Russell and Peter Kent, funded by Beggars Banquet Records, and is still active today...
on May 12, 2008. When released in the UK, For Emma, Forever Ago received 5/5 and "Album of the Month" reviews in both Mojo
Mojo (magazine)
MOJO is a popular music magazine published initially by Emap, and since January 2008 by Bauer, monthly in the United Kingdom. Following the success of the magazine Q, publishers Emap were looking for a title which would cater for the burgeoning interest in classic rock music...
and Uncut
UNCUT (magazine)
Uncut magazine, trademarked as UNCUT, is a monthly publication based in London. It is available across the English-speaking world, and focuses on music, but also includes film and books sections...
magazines. It was the seventh highest rated album of 2008 on review-aggregator site Metacritic
Metacritic
Metacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...
, with accolades from publications including The Village Voice
The Village Voice
The Village Voice is a free weekly newspaper and news and features website in New York City that features investigative articles, analysis of current affairs and culture, arts and music coverage, and events listings for New York City...
, The Hartford Courant
The Hartford Courant
The Hartford Courant is the largest daily newspaper in the U.S. state of Connecticut, and is a morning newspaper for most of the state north of New Haven and east of Waterbury...
and The A.V. Club
The A.V. Club
The A.V. Club is an entertainment newspaper and website published by The Onion. Its features include reviews of new films, music, television, books, games and DVDs, as well as interviews and other regular offerings examining both new and classic media and other elements of pop culture. Unlike its...
. Pitchfork Media
Pitchfork Media
Pitchfork Media, usually known simply as Pitchfork or P4k, is a Chicago-based daily Internet publication established in 1995 that is devoted to music criticism and commentary, music news, and artist interviews. Its focus is on underground and independent music, especially indie rock...
gave the album 29th place in its "The Top 200 Albums of 2000s" list, while Stereogum
Stereogum
Stereogum was one of the first MP3 blogs. It was created by Scott Lapatine in January 2002 with a focus on independent and alternative music news, downloads, videos, and gossip. Stereogum has received several awards and citations, including the 2008 Plug Award for best music blog, Blender's...
placed the album at 11 on its "Best Album of the '00s" list.
The digital download track "Skinny Love" was selected to be iTunes (UK) single of the week and was available for free during that time, as well as being featured as the track of the day on National Public Radio. Bon Iver was ranked number 8 on Last.fm
Last.fm
Last.fm is a music website, founded in the United Kingdom in 2002. It has claimed 30 million active users in March 2009. On 30 May 2007, CBS Interactive acquired Last.fm for UK£140m ....
's most listened to new music of 2008. Bon Iver's For Emma, Forever Ago was ranked number 29 in Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
s list of the Top 50 Albums of 2008. In an interview, Vernon said: "I'm really humbled by everything and am keeping things in perspective." On May 19, 2008, "Blindsided" and "Flume" were featured in The CW series One Tree Hill
One Tree Hill (TV series)
One Tree Hill is an American television drama created by Mark Schwahn, which premiered on September 23, 2003, on The WB Television Network. After its third season, The WB merged with UPN to form The CW Television Network, and, since September 27, 2006, the network has been the official broadcaster...
. On October 6, 2008, "Skinny Love" was featured in the NBC series Chuck
Chuck (TV series)
Chuck is an action-comedy/spy-drama television program from the United States created by Josh Schwartz and Chris Fedak. The series is about an "average computer-whiz-next-door" named Chuck, played by Zachary Levi, who receives an encoded e-mail from an old college friend now working for the Central...
(season 2, episode 3
Chuck Versus the Seduction
"Chuck Versus the Seduction" is the second episode of Season 2 of the U.S. television series Chuck, first airing October 6, 2008. Chuck must go undercover to retrieve the Cipher from Sasha Banachek , known as the Black Widow...
).
On December 11, 2008, Bon Iver performed "Skinny Love" on the Late Show with David Letterman
Late Show with David Letterman
Late Show with David Letterman is a U.S. late-night talk show hosted by David Letterman on CBS. The show debuted on August 30, 1993, and is produced by Letterman's production company, Worldwide Pants Incorporated. The show's music director and band-leader of the house band, the CBS Orchestra, is...
. On January 26, 2009, "Skinny Love" was announced at #21 by the Australian national radio station Triple J
Triple J
triple j is a nationally networked Australian radio station intended to appeal to listeners between the ages of 18 and 30. The government-funded station is a division of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation...
in the annual Hottest 100 countdown of the previous year's best songs. In July 2009, "Skinny Love" was announced at #92 in Triple J
Triple J
triple j is a nationally networked Australian radio station intended to appeal to listeners between the ages of 18 and 30. The government-funded station is a division of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation...
's Hottest 100 of All Time countdown. Additionally, the track "Flume" has been used by the BBC to advertise their Jimmy McGovern
Jimmy McGovern
Jimmy McGovern is a BAFTA award-winning English television scriptwriter from Liverpool.-Early career:McGovern started his career working on Channel 4's soap opera Brookside in 1982, tackling many social issues such as unemployment.-Successes:...
-penned drama series The Street; the song "Creature Fear" was used in a 2009 episode of the NBC series Chuck (season 2, episode 21) and the track "Blood Bank" was used in another Chuck episode (season 2, episode 18
Chuck Versus the Broken Heart
"Chuck Versus the Broken Heart" is the 18th episode of Chucks second season, and the 31st episode overall. It aired on March 30, 2009. Tricia Helfer guest stars as agent Alex Forrest, assigned to evaluate Sarah's performance due to General Beckman's concerns about her relationship with Chuck...
); the track "Skinny Love" was featured in another episode of Chuck (season 2, episode 3), as well as in the ABC drama Grey's Anatomy
Grey's Anatomy
Grey's Anatomy is an American medical drama television series created by Shonda Rhimes. The series premiered on March 27, 2005 on ABC; since then, seven seasons have aired. The series follows the lives of interns, residents and their mentors in the fictional Seattle Grace Mercy West Hospital in...
; "The Wolves (Act I and II)" was used in the first season of The United States of Tara
The United States of Tara
United States of Tara is an American television comedy-drama created by Diablo Cody, which began airing on Showtime in 2009. The series follows the life of Tara , a suburban housewife and mother coping with dissociative identity disorder....
; "Re:Stacks" was featured in the Fox drama House
House (TV series)
House is an American television medical drama that debuted on the Fox network on November 16, 2004. The show's central character is Dr. Gregory House , an unconventional and misanthropic medical genius who heads a team of diagnosticians at the fictional Princeton-Plainsboro Teaching Hospital in...
, as was "Flume" on May 16, 2011; and "Woods" was used in the eighth episode of Skins
Skins (TV series)
Skins is a BAFTA award-winning British teen drama that follows a group of teenagers in Bristol, South West England, through the two years of college. The controversial plot line explores issues such as dysfunctional families, mental illness , adolescent sexuality, substance abuse and death...
' third series and appeared on the Series 3 soundtrack.
In 2009 Bon Iver, along with St. Vincent, contributed the song "Rosyln" to the New Moon soundtrack. Bon Iver also contributed "Brackett, WI" to the AIDS benefit album Dark Was the Night
Dark Was the Night
Dark Was the Night is the twentieth compilation release benefiting the Red Hot Organization, an international charity dedicated to raising funds and awareness for HIV and AIDS...
produced by the Red Hot Organization
Red Hot Organization
Red Hot Organization is a not-for-profit, 501 3, international organization dedicated to fighting AIDS through pop culture.Since its inception in 1989, over 400 artists, producers and directors have contributed to over 15 compilation albums, related television programs and media events to raise...
.
In 2010 Bon Iver collaborated with Kanye West
Kanye West
Kanye Omari West is an American rapper, singer, and record producer. West first rose to fame as a producer for Roc-A-Fella Records, where he eventually achieved recognition for his work on Jay-Z's album The Blueprint, as well as hit singles for musical artists including Alicia Keys, Ludacris, and...
on the track "Lost In the World". The track begins with a sample of the Bon Iver track "Woods". He also contributed vocals to the West track "Monster". Both tracks are featured on West's album My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy. Then in March 2011, Justin Vernon performed at SXSW with GOOD Music
GOOD Music
GOOD Music is a record label and management firm founded by music producer and artist Kanye West. "GOOD" is an acronym for "Getting Out Our Dreams".-History:...
, later confirming that the band signed to the label.
Josh Jackson reviewed Bon Iver for Paste
Paste (magazine)
Paste is a monthly music and entertainment digital magazine published in the United States by Wolfgang's Vault. Its tagline is "Signs of Life in Music, Film and Culture."-History:...
, saying, "It retains the beautiful melancholy of For Emma, but in nearly every way, it’s just more. More layered, more diverse, more interesting. He brings in collaborators to do what they do best, but never at the expense of his sound and vision. It treads into new sonic directions without getting lost." He gave the album a score of nine out of ten.
Self-titled second album
Bon IverBon Iver, Bon Iver
The album received highly positive reviews from most music critics upon its release. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average score of 86, based on 42 reviews, which indicates "universal acclaim." Paste Magazine...
was released on June 21, 2011. On March 23, 2011, Justin Vernon told Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
that a follow up of For Emma, Forever Ago would be released in June. Bon Iver's second album was rumored to be titled Letters for Marvin but was later confirmed to be Bon Iver. The album is composed of 10 songs and takes a new musical direction: “I brought in a lot of people to change my voice — not my singing voice, but my role as the author of this band, this project,” says Vernon, who hired well-known players like bass saxophonist
Bass saxophone
The bass saxophone is the second largest member of the saxophone family. Its design is similar to that of the baritone saxophone, with a loop of tubing near the mouthpiece. It was the first type of saxophone presented to the public, when Adolphe Sax exhibited a bass saxophone in C at an exhibition...
Colin Stetson
Colin Stetson
Colin Stetson, born in Ann Arbor, Michigan and currently based in Montreal, Quebec, is a bass saxophone player and touring member of Arcade Fire, Bell Orchestre and Bon Iver...
and pedal-steel guitarist Greg Leisz
Greg Leisz
Greg Leisz is an American multi-instrumentalist, playing lap and pedal steel guitars, guitar, mandolin, and bass.- Biography :Leisz was influenced early on by the Byrds and Flying Burrito Brothers, especially pedal steel player "Sneaky" Pete Kleinow...
. “I built the record myself, but I allowed those people to come in and change the scene.” The second album is described as an "ambitious musical departure" from the first. Prior to the album's release, Vernon said that each song on the new album represents a place. The song "Perth" was described as a "Civil War-sounding heavy metal song," the song "Minnesota, WI" was described as featuring "finger-picked guitars, double bass drums and distorted bass saxophone," and the closing song "Beth/Rest" will be "horn heavy."
The album was recorded in a remodeled veterinarian clinic in Fall Creek, Wisconsin
Fall Creek, Wisconsin
Fall Creek is a village in Eau Claire County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 1,236 at the 2000 census. The village is located within and entirely surrounded by the Town of Lincoln.-Geography:Fall Creek is located at ....
, which was bought by Vernon and his brother in 2008. It was converted into April Base Studios, built mainly over the defunct swimming pool attached to the clinic. Vernon's reason for recording in the location was that "[it's] been a wonderful freedom, working in a place we built. It's also only three miles from the house I grew up in, and just ten minutes from the bar where my parents met."
On April 20, Bon Iver announced details of the self-titled release through the official Jagjaguwar and 4AD websites. The artwork for the album was also released, painted by the American artist Gregory Euclide
Gregory Euclide
Gregory Euclide is an American contemporary artist and teacher who currently lives and works outside of Minneapolis, Minnesota. Born in Cedarburg, Wisconsin, and raised there before moving to Minnesota, his life was permeated with the outdoors, and created an interest in and connection to the...
. Gregory also released two YouTube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
videos entitled the "Making of Bon Iver Album Art".
Over one month before the album release date, the album was accidentally made available for purchase on the iTunes Music Store on May 23. Apple removed the item from the store, but not before a handful of users were able to purchase and download it. There was no comment from Apple, the artist, or his label. However, the lyrics to the album were promptly uploaded to their record site.
In late August of 2011, critically acclaimed English post-dubstep musician and singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriters are musicians who write, compose and sing their own musical material including lyrics and melodies. As opposed to contemporary popular music singers who write their own songs, the term singer-songwriter describes a distinct form of artistry, closely associated with the...
James Blake
James Blake (musician)
James Blake is a British electronic music producer and singer-songwriter from London, UK. On 6 January 2011, Blake was announced as runner-up in BBC's Sound of 2011 poll...
uploaded a track called "Fall Creek Boys Choir
Fall Creek Boys Choir
- External links :* *...
" to his YouTube channel. The track was a collaboration with Bon Iver. The track was released as the first single from Blake's EP Enough Thunder
Enough Thunder
-Personnel:Credits taken from Discogs.* James Blake - vocals, instrumentation, producer, songwriter* Rob McAndrews - acoustic guitar on "Once We All Agree"* Justin Vernon - vocals, producer and songwriter on "Fall Creek Boys Choir"...
and was also included on the deluxe edition of his self-titled debut album
James Blake (album)
James Blake is the debut studio album by London-based dubstep producer James Blake. It was released in both the United Kingdom and the United States on his own label, ATLAS, supported by A&M Records, on 4 February 2011...
.
On November 30, the band earned four nominations for the 54th Grammy Awards
54th Grammy Awards
The 54th Annual Grammy Awards will be held on February 12, 2012, at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. It will be broadcasted on CBS. Nominations were announced on November 30, 2011 on prime-time television as part of "The GRAMMY Nominations Concert Live! – Countdown to Music's Biggest Night", a...
including Best New Artist
Grammy Award for Best New Artist
The Grammy Award for Best New Artist has been awarded since 1959. Years reflect the year in which the Grammy Awards were handed out, for records released in the previous year. The award was not presented in 1967...
, Best Alternative Music Album
Grammy Award for Best Alternative Music Album
The Grammy Award for Best Alternative Music Album is an award presented to recording artists for quality albums in the alternative rock genre at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards...
for their self-titled album Bon Iver, and Song of the Year
Grammy Award for Song of the Year
The Song of the Year is one of the four most prestigious awards in the Grammy Awards ceremony, if not in all of the American music industry. It has been awarded since 1959 and unlike the Record of the Year award, which goes to the performer and production team of a single song, Song of the Year...
for "Holocene
Holocene
The Holocene is a geological epoch which began at the end of the Pleistocene and continues to the present. The Holocene is part of the Quaternary period. Its name comes from the Greek words and , meaning "entirely recent"...
" and Record of the Year
Grammy Award for Record of the Year
The Record of the Year is one of the four most prestigious Grammy Awards presented annually. It has been awarded since 1959.-History:The honorees through its history have been:*1959-1965: Artist only.*1966-1998: Artist and producer....
for "Bon Iver".
Studio albums
| Title | Details | Peak chart positions | Certifications Music recording sales certification Music recording sales certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped or sold a certain number of copies, where the threshold quantity varies by type and by nation or territory .Almost all countries follow variations of the RIAA certification categories,... |
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| US Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... |
US Alt |
US Indie Independent Albums The Billboard Independent Albums is a chart of the highest-selling independent music albums and extended plays in the United States, compiled by Nielsen SoundScan and published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is used to list artists who are not signed to major labels... |
US Rock |
AUS ARIA Charts The ARIA charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling singles and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA commenced compiling its own charts in-house from the week ending 26 June... |
CAN Canadian Albums Chart The Canadian Albums Chart is the official album sales chart in Canada. It is compiled every Wednesday by U.S.-based music sales tracking company Nielsen Soundscan, and published every Thursday by Jam! Canoe and Billboard, along with its sister charts the Canadian Singles Chart and the Canadian BDS... |
DEN |
IRE Irish Albums Chart The Irish Albums Chart is the Irish music industry standard albums popularity chart issued weekly by the Irish Recorded Music Association and compiled on its behalf by Chart-Track. Chart rankings are based on sales, which are compiled through over-the-counter retail data captured electronically... |
NL MegaCharts MegaCharts is responsible for the composition and exploitation of a broad collection of official charts in the Netherlands, of which the Mega Top 50 and the Mega Album Top 100 are the most known ones. Mega Charts also provides information to the Stichting Nederlandse Top 40, of which the Dutch Top... |
UK UK Albums Chart The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart... |
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| For Emma, Forever Ago For Emma, Forever Ago For Emma, Forever Ago is the debut album from Wisconsin band Bon Iver. It was self-released in 2007 and received wider release on the Jagjaguwar label in February 2008... |
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64 | 16 | 4 | 20 | 32 | — | 40 | 16 | 61 | 42 |
Australian Recording Industry Association The Australian Recording Industry Association is a trade group representing the Australian recording industry which was established in 1983 by six major record companies, EMI, Festival, CBS, RCA, WEA and Universal replacing the Association of Australian Record Manufacturers which was formed in 1956... : Gold British Phonographic Industry The British Phonographic Industry is the British record industry's trade association.-Structure:Its membership comprises hundreds of music companies including all four "major" record companies , associate members such as manufacturers and distributors, and hundreds of independent music companies... : Gold |
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| Bon Iver |
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2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 6 | 1 | 3 | 15 | 4 | |||
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart | ||||||||||||||
Extended plays
| Title | Details | Peak chart positions | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... |
US Alt |
US Indie Independent Albums The Billboard Independent Albums is a chart of the highest-selling independent music albums and extended plays in the United States, compiled by Nielsen SoundScan and published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is used to list artists who are not signed to major labels... |
US Rock |
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| Blood Bank |
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16 | 4 | 3 | 6 |
Singles
| Single | Year | Peak chart positions | Album | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EUR |
FRA Syndicat National de l'Edition Phonographique The Syndicat national de l'édition phonographique is the inter-professional organization which protects the interests of the French record industry... |
IRE Irish Singles Chart The Irish Singles Chart is Ireland's music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by the Irish Recorded Music Association and compiled on behalf of the IRMA by Chart-Track. Chart rankings are based on sales, which are compiled through over-the-counter retail data captured... |
UK UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ... |
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| "Skinny Love Skinny Love "Skinny Love" is a song by American indie folk band Bon Iver. The song was released as single in the United Kingdom on 28 April 2008. It was the first single released from their 2007 debut album For Emma, Forever Ago.-Birdy version:... " |
2008 | — | — | — | — | For Emma, Forever Ago | |||
| "For Emma" | — | — | — | — | |||||
| "re: Stacks" | — | — | — | — | |||||
| "Blood Bank" | 2009 | 62 | 54 | 24 | 37 | Blood Bank EP | |||
| "Calgary" | 2011 | — | — | — | — | Bon Iver | |||
| "Holocene" | — | — | — | — | |||||
| "Towers" | 2012 | — | — | — | — | ||||
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart | |||||||||
Featured singles
- "Monster" - Kanye WestKanye WestKanye Omari West is an American rapper, singer, and record producer. West first rose to fame as a producer for Roc-A-Fella Records, where he eventually achieved recognition for his work on Jay-Z's album The Blueprint, as well as hit singles for musical artists including Alicia Keys, Ludacris, and...
featuring Jay-ZJay-ZShawn Corey Carter , better known by his stage name Jay-Z, is an American rapper, record producer, entrepreneur, and occasional actor. He is one of the most financially successful hip hop artists and entrepreneurs in America, having a net worth of over $450 million as of 2010...
, Rick RossRick Ross (rapper)William Leonard Roberts II , better known by his stage name Rick Ross, is an American rapper. He derived his stage name from the drug trafficker "Freeway" Ricky Ross, to whom he has no connection...
, Bon Iver & Nicki MinajNicki MinajOnika Tanya Maraj , better known by her stage name Nicki Minaj; ), is a Trinidadian-born American recording artist...
(August 27, 2010 - download) - "Lost in the WorldLost in the World"Lost in the World" is a song by American hip hop recording artist Kanye West from his studio album, My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy. The song features vocals by Justin Vernon of Bon Iver, and also heavily samples his 2009 work, "Woods"...
" - Kanye WestKanye WestKanye Omari West is an American rapper, singer, and record producer. West first rose to fame as a producer for Roc-A-Fella Records, where he eventually achieved recognition for his work on Jay-Z's album The Blueprint, as well as hit singles for musical artists including Alicia Keys, Ludacris, and...
featuring Bon Iver - "Fall Creek Boys ChoirFall Creek Boys Choir- External links :* *...
" - James BlakeJames Blake (musician)James Blake is a British electronic music producer and singer-songwriter from London, UK. On 6 January 2011, Blake was announced as runner-up in BBC's Sound of 2011 poll...
& Bon Iver
Selected compilations, soundtracks & guest appearances
- "Brackett, WI" released on Dark Was the NightDark Was the NightDark Was the Night is the twentieth compilation release benefiting the Red Hot Organization, an international charity dedicated to raising funds and awareness for HIV and AIDS...
(February 17, 2009 – 3 x LP & 2 x CD). - "For Emma" (live) released on Live at the World Cafe Vol. 27 (2009 – U.S. CD)
- "Skinny Love" (live) released on "Later... Live2 with Jools Holland" (October 12, 2009 – 2 x CD)
- "Roslyn" (with St. Vincent) released on The Twilight Saga: New Moon: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (October 19, 2009 – CD. December, 2009 – 2 x LP)
- "Flume", "Wisconsin" and "Soft Light" featured on the feature film The Builder by R. Alverson (July 27, 2010 - DVD)
- My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy by Kanye West (November 22, 2010 - CD); featuring Bon Iver on six total tracks including "Monster" and "Lost In The World".
Promotional videos
- "The Wolves (Acts I & II)" (2008 – directed by Matt Amato. Filmed in Fall Creek, Wisconsin, January 2008)
- "Take Away Show" - (2008 - Limited 3-track DVD in hand stamped card sleeve. Free with copies of For Emma, Forever Ago purchased from Rough Trade Records, November/December 2008)
- "Calgary" (2011 – Directed by Andre Durand and Dan Huiting)
- "Holocene" (2011 - Directed by Nabil Elderkin. Filmed in Iceland.)
Related releases
- "Night of the Furies Remixed" - The Rosebuds (April, 2008 - download); featuring Justin Vernon remix of "Get Up, Get Out".
- Unmap – Volcano Choir (September 22, 2009 – CD, LP & download); featuring Justin Vernon.
- A Decade With DukeA Decade With DukeA Decade With Duke is a live music CD featuring Justin Vernon from Bon Iver in collaboration with the Eau Claire Memorial Jazz I Ensemble. Steve Thompson of All Things Considered, the National Public Radio program, ranked the album as his 6th favorite of 2010....
– Eau Claire Memorial High Jazz 1 featuring Justin Vernon (December 7, 2009 – U.S.-only 14-track CD & iTunes 8-track download). - Hadestown – Anais Mitchell (April 9, 2010 – CD); featuring Justin Vernon.
- Relayted by GayngsGayngsGayngs is a Midwest indie band with a 1980s soft rock-inspired sound. Founded by Ryan Olson, the group consists of over 25 musicians, including Justin Vernon of Bon Iver, Rhymesayers rapper P.O.S, Har Mar Superstar and members of Solid Gold and The Rosebuds....
(May, 2010 – CD, LP); featuring Justin Vernon and Mike Noyce. - "Broken Hearts & Dirty Windows: Songs of John Prine" – by various artists (June 22, 2010 – CD); featuring Justin Vernon.
- High Violet by The National (May 11, 2010 – CD, LP download); featuring Justin Vernon.
- All We GrowAll We Grow- Personnel :* Nick Ball – guitar, percussion* Jeremy Boettcher – electric bass, upright bass* S. Carey – guitar, instrumentation, mixing, percussion, piano, vibraphone, vocals* Shannon Carey – vocals* Jaime Hansen – engineer, mixing...
- S. CareyS. CareyS. Carey is the moniker of musician Sean Carey of Eau Claire, Wisconsin. Carey is best known as the drummer and supporting vocalist of indie folk band Bon Iver...
debut album (August 24, 2010 - CD, LP and download); Sean Carey solo album. - "Harbors" - All Tiny Creatures (2011); featuring Justin Vernon.
- "Grown Unknown" - Lia Ices (January 25, 2011); song "Daphne" featuring Justin Vernon.
- My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy - Kanye WestKanye WestKanye Omari West is an American rapper, singer, and record producer. West first rose to fame as a producer for Roc-A-Fella Records, where he eventually achieved recognition for his work on Jay-Z's album The Blueprint, as well as hit singles for musical artists including Alicia Keys, Ludacris, and...
(November 22, 2010); Writing credits for Justin Vernon and featuring Bon Iver on "Monster" and "Lost in The World". - Watch the Throne by JAY Z & Kanye West (August 12, 2011 - download); Writing credits for Justin Vernon on "That's My Bitch".