Justin DeYarmond Edison Vernon (born April 30, 1981) is an American singer, songwriter, producer and multi-instrumentalist. He is best known as the primary songwriter and frontman of

indie folk Indie folk is a music genre that arose in the 1990s among musicians from indie rock scenes influenced by folk music. Indie folk hybridizes the acoustic guitar melodies of traditional folk music with contemporary instrumentation. The genre has it ...

band

Bon Iver Bon Iver ( ) is an American indie folk band founded in 2006 by singer-songwriter Justin Vernon. Vernon released Bon Iver's debut album, ''For Emma, Forever Ago,'' independently in July 2007. The majority of the album was recorded while Vernon ...

. Known for his distinct

falsetto ''Falsetto'' (, ; Italian diminutive of , "false") is the vocal register occupying the frequency range just above the modal voice register and overlapping with it by approximately one octave. It is produced by the vibration of the ligamentou ...

voice, He is also a member of the bands Volcano Choir, Big Red Machine, the Shouting Matches, and Gayngs. He was previously a member of the now-defunct band DeYarmond Edison. Vernon has received widespread acclaim for his work, predominantly with Bon Iver.

Early life

Vernon attended Memorial High School in

Eau Claire Eau Claire (French for "clear water", ''pl.'' ''eaux claires'') is the name of a number of locations and features in North America. The name is pronounced as if it were spelled "O'Clare". Place names (Canada) Communities *Eau Claire, Calgary, a n ...

, Wisconsin, where he still resides today. He formed his first band, Mount Vernon, in 1997 after meeting its members at a high school Wisconsin jazz camp. They released their first local musical project in 1998. He graduated from Memorial High in 1999 and attended college at the University of Wisconsin–Eau Claire, spending a semester in Ireland. Vernon majored in Religious Studies and minored in Women's Studies. In an interview with

Stephen Colbert Stephen Tyrone Colbert ( ; born May 13, 1964) is an American comedian, writer, producer, political commentator, actor, and television host. He is best known for hosting the satirical Comedy Central program '' The Colbert Report'' from 2005 t ...

on ''

The Colbert Report ''The Colbert Report'' ( ) is an American late-night talk and news satire television program hosted by Stephen Colbert that aired four days a week on Comedy Central from October 17, 2005, to December 18, 2014, for 1,447 episodes. The show focu ...

'', he said that he was not ready to study music.

Career

Pre-Bon Iver

In 2001, Vernon released his first solo album under the name "J.D Vernon," titled ''Home Is''. He went on to release two other solo albums, namely ''Self Record'' in 2005, which was followed shortly thereafter by ''Hazeltons'' in 2006. All of these albums are available online, but they have not seen an official release. Vernon founded the band DeYarmond Edison in 2001 while still in college. The band, which began performing in 2002, consisted of Vernon, Brad and Phil Cook, Christopher Porterfield and Joe Westerlund. The group saw varying line-up changes during its five years of existence. After playing in the Eau Claire music scene, the four bandmates decided to leave their longtime home and move to

Raleigh, North Carolina Raleigh (; ) is the capital city of the state of North Carolina and the seat of Wake County in the United States. It is the second-most populous city in North Carolina, after Charlotte. Raleigh is the tenth-most populous city in the South ...

, to try their musical hand in a new place. The band released two records themselves, the first self-titled in 2004 and the second titled ''Silent Signs'' in 2005, and an EP of unreleased material is available on their Myspace page. After nearly a year in Raleigh, Vernon left for Wisconsin in 2006 after a breakup with the band and a girlfriend. The remaining members of DeYarmond Edison went on to form the folk bands Megafaun and Field Report, and remain good friends with Vernon.

Bon Iver

Vernon came to international prominence with ''

For Emma, Forever Ago ''For Emma, Forever Ago'' is the debut studio album by American indie folk band Bon Iver. It was first self-released in July 2007, and later saw wide release on the Jagjaguwar label in February 2008. The album is principally the work of singer-so ...

'', his first album as

, which he recorded isolated in a northern Wisconsin cabin during the winter months of 2006 and 2007, while he was going through health and personal difficulties. The album was self-released by Vernon in July 2007 and after it received several positive reviews, including from ''

Pitchfork A pitchfork (also a hay fork) is an agricultural tool with a long handle and two to five tines used to lift and pitch or throw loose material, such as hay, straw, manure, or leaves. The term is also applied colloquially, but inaccurately, to ...

'', the album was rereleased in February 2008 and released internationally in May of that year. Bon Iver won Best New Artist and Best Alternative Album at the 2012 Grammy Awards, for their 2011 self-titled album. On September 25, 2012, Vernon walked away from

temporarily, virtually putting an end to the band for the time being. When asked for reasoning, he replied, " 'mwinding 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." On August 9, 2019, Vernon released '' I, I'', to critical acclaim. The band's fourth studio LP is vocal-heavy and features dozens of collaborators, emulating the message Vernon intended to send when working with Aaron Dessner in producing Big Red Machine.

Collaborations and side projects

Vernon is a part of other musical groups, including Volcano Choir, which consists of Vernon and the members of the band Collections of Colonies of Bees. In 2009 '' Unmap'' was released. His collaborative group Gayngs, consisting of multiple established artists, including members from Megafaun, the Rosebuds,

Doomtree Doomtree is an American hip hop collective and record label based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The collective has seven members: Dessa, Cecil Otter, P.O.S, Sims, Mike Mictlan, Paper Tiger, and Lazerbeak. The collective is known for incorporat ...

and Solid Gold, among others, released '' Relayted'' in 2010. Vernon contributed vocals as

Orpheus Orpheus (; Ancient Greek: Ὀρφεύς, classical pronunciation: ; french: Orphée) is a Thracians, Thracian bard, legendary musician and prophet in ancient Greek religion. He was also a renowned Ancient Greek poetry, poet and, according to ...

to seven songs on Anaïs Mitchell's 2010 album '' Hadestown'', based on the Greek legend '' Orpheus and Eurydice''. He is one third of the Shouting Matches, a blues-garage rock trio, along with

Laarks Laarks is an indie-rock band based out of Eau Claire, Wisconsin. Absolutely Kosher Records, an independent California-based music label, signed a recording contract with Laarks in August, 2009. Laarks' first record, ''An Exaltation of Laarks'' wa ...

and

Peter Wolf Crier Peter Wolf Crier is a Minneapolis-based folk rock band. They signed with Jagjaguwar in 2010. The duo consists of previous Wars of 1812 band member Peter Pisano and Laarks' Brian Moen. Pisano previously worked for St. Francis-St. James United Sch ...

drummer Brian Moen, and former DeYarmond Edison bandmate Phil Cook. They have recorded but not yet released a 5-track EP, ''Mouthoil'', and released their debut album, ''Grownass Man'', in 2013. At the Shouting Matches' 2013 shows in Milwaukee and Minneapolis, ''Mouthoil'' CDs were available as a limited release. During the creation of

Kanye West Ye ( ; born Kanye Omari West ; June 8, 1977) is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, record producer, and fashion designer. Born in Atlanta and raised in Chicago, West gained recognition as a producer for Roc-A-Fella Records in the ea ...

's 2010 album '' My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy'', Vernon was invited to collaborate on various songs, providing vocals on " Dark Fantasy", "

Monster A monster is a type of fictional creature found in horror, fantasy, science fiction, folklore, mythology and religion. Monsters are very often depicted as dangerous and aggressive with a strange, grotesque appearance that causes terror and fe ...

", "

Hell Of A Life "Hell of a Life" is a song by American hip hop recording artist T.I., released as a single on October 6, 2009. The song serves as the second single from the re-release of his 2008 album, '' Paper Trail: Case Closed'', which was ultimately relea ...

" and " Lost in the World", as well as the song "That's My Bitch" from West and Jay-Z's collaborative album ''

Watch the Throne ''Watch the Throne'' is a collaborative studio album by American rappers Jay-Z and Kanye West, collectively known as The Throne. It was released on August 8, 2011, through Roc-A-Fella Records, Roc Nation, and Def Jam Recordings. Prior to th ...

'' in 2011. He was also involved in West's 2013 album Yeezus, contributing to "

I Am a God "I Am a God" is a song by American rapper Kanye West from his sixth studio album ''Yeezus'' (2013). The song credits God as a featured performer. It was produced by West, Hudson Mohawke, Daft Punk. and Mike Dean, and includes vocals from Justi ...

", "

Hold My Liquor "Hold My Liquor" is a song by American rapper Kanye West, from his sixth studio album ''Yeezus'' (2013). It was primarily produced by West and longtime collaborator Mike Dean, who also provides a guitar solo, with additional production from A ...

", and "I'm in It". Vernon has on several occasions served as backing vocalist for West at his live performances, notably at the

Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival The Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival (commonly called the Coachella Festival or simply Coachella) is an annual music and arts festival held at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California, in the Coachella Valley in the Colorado Desert. ...

in 2011 and

Glastonbury Festival Glastonbury Festival (formally Glastonbury Festival of Contemporary Performing Arts and known colloquially as Glasto) is a five-day festival of contemporary performing arts that takes place in Pilton, Somerset, England. In addition to contempo ...

in 2015, where West introduced Vernon as "one of the baddest white boys on the planet". In 2009, Vernon collaborated with

Aaron Dessner Aaron Brooking Dessner (born April 23, 1976) is an American musician, songwriter, and record producer. He is best known as a founding member of the rock band the National, with whom he has recorded eight studio albums; a co-founder of the indie ...

on the song "Big Red Machine" for the AIDS benefit album '' Dark Was the Night'' produced by the Red Hot Organization. He has produced albums for other artists, including Land of Talk's 2008 album ''

Some Are Lakes ''Some Are Lakes'' is the first full-length album by Canadian indie rock band Land of Talk, released October 7, 2008, on Secret City Records in Canada and Saddle Creek Records in the United States. The album was produced by Justin Vernon of the A ...

'' and Kathleen Edwards' 2012 album '' Voyageur''. Justin Vernon at Jazz Fest 2012

In 2012, Vernon began

Chigliak Chigliak is a record label and imprint of Jagjaguwar dedicated to albums that have had limited or non-commercial releases. It was founded in 2012 by Justin Vernon of Bon Iver. History Chigliak was named after ''Northern Exposure'' character Ed C ...

, an imprint of

Jagjaguwar Jagjaguwar is an American independent record label based in Bloomington, Indiana, with offices in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Austin, London, Paris, Amsterdam, and Berlin. Jagjaguwar is a label included in Secretly Group, which also includes ...

, dedicated to albums that have had limited or non-commercial releases. In 2014, Jason Feathers, a collaboration with Vernon, Ryan Olson (member of Gayngs, Poliça and Marijuana Deathsquads), indie rapper Astronautalis and Bon Iver member Sean Carey (known by his stage name S. Carey), released ''De Oro''. In 2017 Vernon collaborated with Mouse on Mars on their album '' Dimensional People'' who used his studio April Base. His voice can be heard on the song ''Dimensional People III.'' On June 23, 2018, Vernon joined Dead & Company on stage at Alpine Valley Music Theatre in East Troy, Wisconsin. He performed three songs with the band: "Black Muddy River", "Friend of the Devil", and "Birdsong". Given Vernon's Wisconsin roots, it was a special appearance that highlighted the timelessness and versatility of the Dead's music. In late August 2018, Vernon released the eponymous debut album of duet Big Red Machine alongside the National's Aaron Dessner. The 10 song self-titled album '' Big Red Machine'' was co-produced by Dessner, Vernon and Brad Cook, and features approximately 40 collaborators, including Bryce Dessner, Bryan Devendorf, and Richard Parry. The majority of the album was recorded in Dessner's garage studio in

Hudson Valley The Hudson Valley (also known as the Hudson River Valley) comprises the valley of the Hudson River and its adjacent communities in the U.S. state of New York. The region stretches from the Capital District including Albany and Troy south to ...

, New York. The album seeks to convey the relational role of people in the creation of music, hence why there were so many contributing artists. Justin Vernon

In March 2020 the Ryan Olson-produced album ''

Sorry You Couldn't Make It ''Sorry You Couldn't Make It'' is a studio album by American musician and producer Swamp Dogg. It was released on March 6, 2020 via Joyful Noise Recordings in partnership with Pioneer Works Press. Recording sessions took place at Sound Emporium i ...

'' by Swamp Dogg was released, with Vernon playing guitar on all tracks. He had previously appeared as a guest on Swamp Dogg's 2018 album '' Love, Loss & Autotune''. Later in 2020, Vernon collaborated with

Taylor Swift Taylor Alison Swift (born December 13, 1989) is an American singer-songwriter. Her discography spans multiple genres, and her vivid songwriting—often inspired by her personal life—has received critical praise and wide media coverage. Bo ...

to write and feature on the song " Exile", with an instrumental credit on "

Peace Peace is a concept of societal friendship and harmony in the absence of hostility and violence. In a social sense, peace is commonly used to mean a lack of conflict (such as war) and freedom from fear of violence between individuals or groups. ...

", for her eighth studio album ''

Folklore Folklore is shared by a particular group of people; it encompasses the traditions common to that culture, subculture or group. This includes oral traditions such as Narrative, tales, legends, proverbs and jokes. They include material culture, r ...

''. Swift released her ninth studio album ''

Evermore Evermore may refer to: Books * ''Evermore'' (anthology), an anthology of short stories about or in honor of Edgar Allan Poe * ''Evermore'' (novel), a 2009 novel in The Immortals series by Alyson Noël * ''Evermore'', a short story by Julian Bar ...

'', a surprise follow-up album to ''Folklore''. Vernon co-wrote the title track and played other instruments as well as performed background vocals on several tracks.

Eaux Claires

Vernon founded and curated the Eaux Claires music and arts festival along with

of the National. In August 2016, Vernon and Dessner curated the second annual Eaux Claires festival. On the opening night of the festival, Bon Iver debuted their third album, '' 22, A Million'', in front of a live audience. ''22, A Million'' was released on September 30, 2016, to widespread critical acclaim.

Discography

Solo albums

*''Home Is'' (as JD Vernon, 2001) *''Self Record'' (2005) *''Hazeltons'' (2006)

With Mount Vernon

*''We Can Look Up'' (1998) *''All of Us Free'' (2000)

With DeYarmond Edison

*''DeYarmond Edison'' (2004) *''Silent Signs'' (2005) *''The Bickett Residency'' (2005) *''Unreleased EP'' (2006)

With Bon Iver

*''

'' (2007) *''

Blood Bank A blood bank is a center where blood gathered as a result of blood donation is stored and preserved for later use in blood transfusion. The term "blood bank" typically refers to a department of a hospital usually within a Clinical Pathology laborat ...

'' (2009) *''

'' (2011) *''iTunes Session'' (2012) *'' 22, A Million'' (2016) *'' I, I'' (2019)

With the Shouting Matches

*''Mouthoil'' (2008, limited release in Milwaukee and Minneapolis, re-released in 2013) *''Grownass Man'' (2013)

With Volcano Choir

*'' Unmap'' (2009) *'' Repave'' (2013)

With Gayngs

*'' Relayted'' (2010)

With Big Red Machine

*'' Big Red Machine'' (2018) *'' How Long Do You Think It's Gonna Last?'' (2021)

Collaborative albums

*''

A Decade with Duke ''A Decade with Duke'' is a live music CD featuring Justin Vernon from Bon Iver in collaboration with the Eau Claire Memorial Jazz I Ensemble directed by Bruce Hering. Steve Thompson of National Public Radio's ''All Things Considered ''All T ...

'' (with Eau Claire Memorial Jazz I Ensemble, 2009) *''De Oro'' (with Astronautalis, S. Carey and Ryan Olson, as Jason Feathers, 2014)

Other collaborations

*2010: '' Hadestown'' (with Anaïs Mitchell) *2010: " Dark Fantasy", "

", "Hell of a Life" and " Lost in the World" (off

's '' My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy'') *2011: "That's My Bitch" (off Jay-Z and Kanye West's ''

'') *2011: " Fall Creek Boys Choir" (with James Blake) *2011: "An Iris" (All Tiny Creatures) *2012: "How We Land" (off P.O.S's We Don't Even Live Here") *2013: '' New History Warfare Vol. 3: To See More Light'' (with Colin Stetson) *2013: "

", "

" and " I'm In It" (off Kanye West's '' Yeezus'') *2013: "Naked" (Off Travis $cott's '' Owl Pharaoh'') *2013: "Tiff" (off Poliça's '' Shulamith'') *2013: "Every Grain of Sand" (off the Blind Boys of Alabama's ''I'll Find a Way'') *2014: "Oyster and Pearl", "The Gig That Matters", "Broken Record", and "Let the Spirit" (off Amy Ray's ''Goodnight Tender'') *2014: "Twice" (featuring Brad Cook) (of
Dames
s ''Time Spent'') *2016: "I Need a Forest Fire" and "Meet You in the Maze" (off James Blake's '' The Colour in Anything'') *2016: "Over the Rise" (off Bruce Hornsby & the Noisemakers's ''

Rehab Reunion ''Rehab Reunion'' is the sixth album (fourth studio album) by Bruce Hornsby with his current touring band, the Noisemakers. Released on June 17, 2016, the album is notable in that Hornsby, widely recognized for his piano capabilities, does not pl ...

'') *2016: " Friends" (with Francis and the Lights and uncredited contribution from

) *2017: "Zizzing" (off Ani DiFranco's '' Binary'') *2017: "Faded" (off P.O.S's '' Chill, Dummy'') *2017: "Crabs in a Bucket" (off Vince Staples's '' Big Fish Theory'') *2018: "Dimensional People Part III" (off Mouse on Mars's '' Dimensional People'') *2018: "Wouldn't Leave" (off Kanye West's ''

Ye (album) ''Ye'' ( ; stylized in all lowercase) is the eighth studio album by American rapper Kanye West. It was released on June 1, 2018, through GOOD Music and distributed by Def Jam Recordings. Following controversy surrounding an interview with TM ...

'') *2018: "Feel the Love" and "Kids See Ghosts" (off

Kids See Ghosts Kids See Ghosts (stylized in all-caps) was an American hip hop duo composed of musicians Kanye West and Kid Cudi. Formed in 2018 during West’s Wyoming sessions, the duo released their eponymous debut album in June of that year, through t ...

' ''

KIDS SEE GHOSTS Kids See Ghosts (stylized in all-caps) was an American hip hop duo composed of musicians Kanye West and Kid Cudi. Formed in 2018 during West’s Wyoming sessions, the duo released their eponymous debut album in June of that year, through t ...

'') (Kanye West & Kid Cudi) *2018: "Simple Things" (off Nas's '' Nasir)'' *2018: "Foxfire" (off Jeremy Lindenfeld's ''The Foxfire EP'') *2018: " Fall" (off

Eminem Marshall Bruce Mathers III (born October 17, 1972), known professionally as Eminem (; often stylized as EMINƎM), is an American rapper and record producer. He is credited with popularizing hip hop in middle America and is critically acclai ...

's ''

Kamikaze , officially , were a part of the Japanese Special Attack Units of military aviators who flew suicide attacks for the Empire of Japan against Allied naval vessels in the closing stages of the Pacific campaign of World War II, intending to ...

'', songwriter and uncredited vocals) *2018: '' Love, Loss, and Auto-Tune'' ( Swamp Dogg) *2019: "Cast-Off" and "Meds" (featuring

Blake Mills Blake Mills (born September 21, 1986) is an American songwriter, guitarist, producer, and composer based in California. Biography Blake Mills was born in Santa Monica, California, United States, and grew up in Malibu, where he attended Malib ...

& Rob Moose) (off

Bruce Hornsby Bruce Randall Hornsby (born November 23, 1954) is an American singer-songwriter and pianist. His music draws from folk rock, jazz, bluegrass, folk, Southern rock, country rock, jam band, rock, heartland rock, and blues rock musical trad ...

's ''Absolute Zero'') *2019: "

Take Me to the Light "Take Me to the Light" is a song by American pop project Francis and the Lights featuring Bon Iver and Kanye West. It is the lead single from their forthcoming album, ''Same Night Different Dream''. The song marks the second collaboration between ...

" ( Francis and the Lights featuring

Chance the Rapper Chancelor Johnathan Bennett (born April 16, 1993), known professionally as Chance the Rapper, is an American rapper, singer-songwriter, and record producer. Born and raised in Chicago, Bennett released his debut mixtape ''10 Day'' in 2012. He ...

& Caroline Shaw) *2020: "Carolina" (off

Sarah Siskind Sarah Siskind (born April 15, 1978) is an American folk singer and songwriter. Career Siskind grew up in North Carolina in a musical household. She learned the piano at an early age, began writing songs at age eleven and recorded her first alb ...

's ''Modern Appalachia'') *2020: "Sleeping Without You Is a Dragg" ( Swamp Dogg featuring Jenny Lewis) *2020: "Simulation" (featuring Swamp Dogg) (off

Naeem Naim (also spelled Na'im, Nayeem, Naeem, Naiem, Nahim, Naheem, Nyhiem, Nihiem, Nyheim, Niheem, or Nahiem) ( ar, نعیم, he, נעים) is a male given name and surname. Notable persons with the name include: * Naim ibn Hammad (died 843 AD), ...

's ''

Startisha ''Startisha'' is the third studio album by American rapper Naeem Juwan, also known by his stage name ''Spank Rock''. It was released on June 12, 2020, under record label 37d03d. Singles The first single from the album, which features American mus ...

'') *2020: " Exile" and "

" (with

) (off

's ''

'') *2020: "Dionne" (off the Japanese House's ''Chewing Cotton Wool'') *2020: "Jeanie" (with

) (off Jim-E Stack's ''Ephemera'') *2020: "Land" (off CARM's ''CARM'') *2020: "Evermore", "Ivy", "Cowboy Like Me", "Marjorie" and "Closure" (with Bon Iver) (off

's ''

'') *2020: "Bright Morning Stars" (off Bonny Light Horseman's '' Bonny Light Horseman'') *2021: "Catalog of Unabashed Gratitude" (with

Ross Gay Ross Gay (born August 1, 1974) is an American poet, essayist, and professor who won the National Book Critics Circle Award for Poetry and the Kingsley Tufts Poetry Award for his 2014 book ''Catalog of Unabashed Gratitude'', which was also a finali ...

)

References

External links

Official Bon Iver website
*
Justin Vernon scores two Charlie Chaplin shorts with Chris Rosneau of Volcano Choir

Official Volcano Choir website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Vernon, Justin 1981 births Living people American folk guitarists American male guitarists American male singer-songwriters Record producers from Wisconsin Guitarists from Wisconsin University of Wisconsin–Eau Claire alumni Grammy Award winners Bon Iver members Countertenors People from Eau Claire, Wisconsin Indie folk musicians 21st-century American singers 21st-century American guitarists 21st-century American male singers Big Red Machine (band) members Gayngs members DeYarmond Edison members Volcano Choir members Singer-songwriters from Wisconsin