Bon Iver

BY: SHELBY JOHNSON

MUSIC 1010-400

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 BIOGRAPHY

o Justin Vernon (Stage name Bon

Iv er)
o Born April 30, 1981 in Eau Claire,
Wisconsin

Justin Vernon was born April 30, 1981 in Eau Claire Wisconsin. Being a very private
person, not much is known about his personal life, however growing up Vernon was a
band geek in school and played the saxaphone for 9 years in school bands. musical
influences as he was growing up consisted of Joni Mitchell, Indigo Girls, Peter Gabriel,
and Bruce Hornsby. Looking at J in Ve non o n o k i h Bon I e and hi
connec ion i h a di e e g o of o he a i i a a en ha hi ong and
music is a representation of who he is and the change he has experienced over the
years. Vernon is still the same person who resigned to a cabin to deal with
heartbreak. However, like that heartbreak, musical style is not a lasting venture.
Vernon sees his work as "an artistic embodiment of the many seasons in my life."

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 EARLY LIFE & EDUCATION

Founded a band in 1997

Attended Univ ersity of W isconsin
Founded a new band while in college in 2001
Started his solo career in 2006
W rote his first album while isolated in cabin
Creates the name Bon Iv er as his stage name

Justin Vernon formed his first band "Mount Vernon" in 1997 with friends he met at a
Wisconsin band camp. They released their first local music project in 1998. The band
eventually dissolved and Justin attended The University of Wisconsin, where he
majored in Religious Studies and minored in Womens' Studies. While in college he
formed the band DeYardmond Edison, the band began performing at local venues in
2002. The band saw many band member changes during their five years of working
together. In 2006 the band broke up and Vernon had also broken up with his long
time girlfriend. Struggling with personal health issues, Vernon decided to go to his
father's remote northern Wisconsin cabin during the winter months of 2006 and
2007. While there, Vernon, wrote and composed the album "For Emma, Forever
Ago". Vernon also decided to create a stage name for himself, Bon Iver. The name
derives from the French phrase "bon hiver" which translates to "good winter", a
tribute to his isolated time during the winter months at the cabin.

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 COMPOSITION HISTORY
"For Emma, Forever Ago"

o Album released 2007

While Vernon did not intent to write or compose any music while at his father's cabin,
rather he wanted to focus on healing and recuperate from the dissolution of his
relationship, the band, and other hardships that year. However, finding that writing
music was therapeutic, the Album "For Emma, Forever Ago" was formed. Vernon
played all of the instruments performed on the album. Vernon wrote the lyrics for the
album by recording a wordless melody and listening to the recording repeatedly while
writing words according to the sound of the syllables of the melody. The album was
released in 2008. The album became very poplular and was on many "Best of 2008"
lists. This album became an indie folk benchmark with a sound that resognated with
many people.

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 COMPOSITION HISTORY

"Blood Bank"

o Album released 2009

o Only three songs on album

After touring the U.S. and Cananda after his first album, Bon Iver returned with an EP
of new and old songs called "Blood Bank". This album was a follow up to the bands
award winning debut album and only features four tracks. One of Iver's fans turned
out to be Kanye West and the two of them collaborated on West's 2010 album "My
Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy" by adding vocals to a couple of West's tracks.

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 COMPOSITION HISTORY

"Bon Iver, Bon Iver"

o Album released 2011

o W ins to Grammy Awards

After working with Kanye West and feeling inspired, Vernon returned to his own
music and continued composing rich, orchestral arranged indie folk songs. These
new tunes were rleased the following summer in 2011 as the album "Bon Iver, Bon
Iver". This album topped charts in several countries, and hit number two in America.
In 2012 the album won two Grammy Awards for Best Alternative Album and Best
New Artist.

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 COMPOSITION HISTORY

"22, A Million"

o Album Released 2017

o Grammy nominated for Best Alternativ e
Album of the Year

After another year of touring after the self named "Bon Iver" album, Vernon dropped
a bombshell in an interview that Bon Iver was "winding down"and he would be
working on other projects instead. During this time he worked with his blues based
group "The Shouting Machines" and later that year with another one of his bands
"Volcano Chair". Vernon also appeared on vocals on Kanye's West newest album
"Yeezus". Finally, in 2016 Vernon stated that a new album was in the works for Bon
Iver. At the 2016 Eaux Claires Music and Arts Fesival Bon Iver played a set of all new
songs and the next day he announced the drop of his new album "22, A Million". This
album was Grammy nominated for Best Alternative Album of the Year.

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 COMPOSITION HISTORY

"I, I"

o Album Released 2019

o Grammy nomination for Album of the
Year, Best Alternativ e Music Album, and
Record of the Year

In 2018 while touring Vernon began working on a new material that the band began
introducing into their concerts. In August 2019 these songs became the album "I, I"
which has some of the electric feels of the album "22, A Million" but also brought
back the full sound of the self titled "Bon Iver" album. The "I,I" album was Grammy
nominated for Album of the Year, Best Alternative Music Album, and Record of the
Year for the track "Hey, Ma".

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 LISTENING GUIDE: "Skinny Love"
W rit ten and performed by: Jus t in Vernon

0:00 0:47
Quick, s hort , s imple guit ar chords . Tempo and beat pick up and get
deeper and louder.

1:05 1:30
Bas s comes in w it h a s t eady and Vocals become quicker, s harp and
s low beat . louder.

3:02 3:27
Vocal pit ch fluct uat es . U s e of vocals are us ed t o make
melodic s ounds .

0:00- Quick, short, simple guitar chords are played in the opening of this song.

0:33- Soft, gentle vocals come in with a soothing sounds and simple chords.

0:47- Tempo and beat pick up and they get deeper and louder. The texture of the
sound changes to a moodier feel.

1:05- Beat kicks in with drums and bass, steady and slow simple chords are sung.

1:30- Chorus- vocals become quicker, higher, and louder, guitar chords texture
changes and the beat picks up. The instruments together create a wonderful
harmony and soft melody.

1:56- Bass and drums stop, guitar slows down to a steady melody.

2:01- Vocals come back in a falsetto heavy, but tone.

2:32- Chorus is repeated.

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3:02- Vocal pitch goes up and down with harsher tones.

3:27- Use of vocals is used to make sounds to song.

3:44- One final chord strumming of an acoustic guitar ends song.

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 LISTENING GUIDE: "Flume"
W rit ten and performed by: Jus t in Vernon

0:00 0:20
Soft , s low t empo of acous t ic guit ar Vocals s t art w ith a unique buzz
chords are s low ly played. s ound from an ebow played on an
acous t ic guit ar.

0:48 1:11
Chrous s t art s w ith louder, s harper Percus s ion comes in and guit ar
vocals . Beat get s louder and s t ops , beat s low s dow n and drums
t empo picks up. s t op.

2:35
M us ic s low s dow n and t hen s t ops .
St rings s t art up w ithout vocals .

0:00- Song begins with a slow and steady beat. An acoustic guitar is playing simple
chords. The sound is soft and calming.

0:20- Vocals come in, they are soft and simple. There is also a very unique sound that
starts to play and it is an ebow being played on an acoustic guitar.

0:48- Chorus- Beat picks up tempo. Vocals and strings get louder and harsher. Drums
get louder and quicker. The melody get a more menacing tone.

1:11- Electric strings play 3 notes in a quick duration.

1:16- Vocals and string chords go back to a slow rhythm. Tempo slows down and beat
becomes simple and slow.

1:52- Chorus come in again and the beat picks up once again. Louder, quicker pitch in
vocals. Tempo is faster as well at the beat.

2:35- Music slows down to the slowest tempo in the song. Then it stops completely.
Strings slowly and steadily pick up and gets progressively louder, but not quicker.

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2:49- Vocals and beat pick back up in a slow steady rhythm.

3:22- Music slows and drums and strings fade out along with a steady beat to end the
song.

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 LISTENING GUIDE: "Holocene"
W rit ten and performed by Jus t in Vernon

0:00 0:44
Light s t umming of s imple chords on Vocals s t art w ith steady, harmonic,
an acous t ic guiut ar. Text ure is s oft . s low s ound.

2:00 4:45
Chorus , s oft and s low vocals Drums become main s ound and
accomanied w it h s trings . t hey pick back up t he t empo of t he
s ong.

0:00- Light strumming of chords on an acoustic guitar with a simple melody. The
texture is soft and peaceful.

0:44- Vocals are steady, harmonic, slow and sound melancholy.

1:27- Beat comes in with drums and bass. Clapping is heard created by an electronic.

2:00- Chorus, soft and slow vocals accompanied with strings.

3:07- A buzzing sound is created by an ebow being used on an acoustic guitar creating
a unique sound.

3:51- Drums come into the song in a simple soft timbre. The duration is slow and
soft.

3:56- Vocals are heard without any music. Drums and strings stop.

4:22- Vocals become louder and tempo picks up drums and bass can be heard.

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4:45- Drums become main sound and they pick up tempo.

5:30- Guitar is played alone strumming simple chords and it fades out.

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Bon Iver's sound stuck me hard the first time I heard his song "Skinny Love". I
remember hearing it at a restaurant and hearing it, and I was trying to google search
the lyrics of the song to see if I could pull up the artist. The waiter at our restaurant
was able to tell me the artist and I have been a huge fan of Bon Iver's music ever
since. He has such a unique sound and a uses a wonderful combination of acoustics
and electronic sounds. Vernon's voice has a high, brittle, falsetto tone that is unlike
many artists. The phrasing of the songs he writes are deeply unusual, and tell stories
of heavy heartbreak and loss, however it feels easy, authentic and intimate. I love
how the mojority of lyrics in his songs ask a question of some sort. His sound
although folk/ indie, he has pushed the envelope and the work harder to make his
own unique sound. His songs almost haunting.

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