Justin Vernon
Justin Vernon
Bon Iver
Justin Vernon is a singer-songwriter and the frontman for indie band Bon Iver. As the leader of Bon Iver, he's gone 2 for 2, with a classic debut, For Emma, Forever Ago in 2007, followed by a self-titled second album in 2011. Bon Iver won four 2012 Grammy nominations and took home Grammys for best new artist and best alternative album.
Late in 2009, Vernon debuted his side-project, Volcano Choir, an ad-hoc collaboration with members of Wisconsin post-rock ensemble Collections of Colonies of Bees.
In 2010, he contributed a track to the instantly-iconic Dark Was the Night compilation, played in ironic soft-rock-revivalist 'supergroup' Gayngs on their debut LP Relayted, and collaborated with Kanye West on his My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy LP.
Also in 2011, 14-year-old English singer Birdy took a cover of Bon Iver's "Skinny Love" into the UK Top 25 singles chart; showing Vernon's pop-cultural influence had spread far and wide.
On September 25, 2012, Vernon walked away from Bon Iver indefinitely, virtually putting an end to the band for the time being. When asked why, he replied, " I'm winding it down. I look at it like a faucet. I have to turn it off and walk away from it because so much of how that music comes together is subconscious or discovering. There's so much attention on the band, it can be distracting at times. I really feel the need to walk away from it while I still care about it. And then if I come back to it – if at all – I'll feel better about it and be renewed or something to do that."
Bon Iver's Official Website