Justin Vernon

Justin Vernon confirms comeback of Bon Iver

At one period of time, the future of Bon Iver was bland after an extensive world tour following the band.s self-titled sophomore album when frontman, Justin Vernon, expressed some disinterest in furthering with the project. He later went back from the comments, and in July, he will bring back the band to headline the first Eaux Claires Music Festival, for which he was a curator as well. In a recent interview promoting the upcoming festival. Vernon revealed that the performance will not be a one-off for the band but the beginning of the band’s third cycle.

Vernon explained to Minneapolis’ KARE 11: “It’s the perfect platform for us to be like, this is how we’re starting this new cycle, new life of the band. It makes so much sense to start it here.” Watch the full interview here.

Eaux Claires will take place July 17th – 18th in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, Vernon’s hometown. Beside Bon Iver, the lineup includes The National, Sufjan Stevens, The Tallest Man on Earth, and more.

Bon Iver’s Justin Vernon covers Spoon’s “Inside Out”

Justin Vernon from Bon Iver has recently released a video of him performing a piano-only, stripped down “Inside Out” by Spoon from their latest album, They Want My Soul. The video was released on Vernon and Aaron Dessner from the National’s YouTube channel for the Eaux Claires Music & Arts Festival. It features Vernon performing the song in a dark and woodsy setting and can be watched below.

The demo for Spoon’s “Inside Out” was also premiered on Song Exploder and can be listened to here. Spoon was on an episode of the Song Exploder podcast talking about the making of the song.

The band is also performing at the Eaux Claires Music & Art Festival and the complete lineup can be found here.



Justin Vernon and the Staves perform new song “Make It Holy”

Justin Vernon earlier this week announced the lineup for his first Eaux Claires Music & Arts Festival in his hometown of Eau Claire, Wisconsin this summer. The news however did not distract Vernon from other projects, especially with the English folk trip, The Staves.

Bon Iver last night joined the Staveley-Taylor sisters on stage during their show at the Hackney Empire in London. They performed “Make It Holy” together and will appear on the upcoming The Staves album, If I Was which is produced by Vernon. Watch the video here.

Justin Vernon and the National announce initial lineup for festival

Justin Vernon and Aaron Dessner from the National are working towards starting the inaugural Eaux Claires Music & Arts Festival a two-day music and arts festival set to take place in July at Eau Claire, Wisconsin, Vernon’s hometown.

Stereogum reports that the line-up is being revealed. Vernon and Dessner have sent letters to those who had ordered presage tickets, each announcing an individual artist as well as confirmed by the Eaux Claire’s Twitter. The lineup as of now includes Low, Melt-Banana, Phox, Boys Noize, Tallest Man on Earth, Sam Amidon, S. Carey and Field Report, Phil Cook, Poliça, Colin Stetson, and Doomtree. The full lineup will be announced here on February 11th.

Here’s the letter that was sent out to those who preordered:

We took a leap of faith. We didn’t know if anyone would leap with us. And then there you were.

Sight unseen, you’ve agreed to join us at the inaugural Eaux Claires Festival along the banks of the Chippewa River this July.

We hope you can feel our gratitude.

Eaux Claires is more than just music. It will be an experience including and celebrating art in a multitude of forms — from the paintbrush to the pen, from the plow to the plate, from local brews to local bootstrappers. Above all, we want to share this place — the Chippewa Valley that has been so good to so many of us.

To make this work, we need early leaders. You are among them. To show our appreciation for your support at the start, here’s a sneak peek at just one of the many artists from the lineup we’re assembling:

We encourage you to share your artists by tagging this information #eauxclaires and broadcasting it in any way you choose. In this way, three quarters of the lineup can be discovered before the full reveal.

We also invite you to join us at http://www.eauxclaires.com on February 11th when we officially announce our lineup along with other surprises.

Right now the Chippewa River slips dark and silent beneath the sheeted ice. come summer, the water will flow warm and slow. Along the banks the grass will grow, and the night will fill with music and light.

We’ll join you there.

Michael Perry, Eaux Claires Narrator

Justin Vernon, Eaux Claires Curator

The trailer for the festival can be found here.

Justin Vernon from Bon Iver to launch own music festival

The man behind Bon Iver, Justin Vernon, will follow the footsteps of bands such as Phish, Metallica, and The National by starting his own music festival. Vernon has partnered with the company that has created Boston Calling to launch the Eaux Claire Music and Arts Festival in Eau Claire, Wisconsin next year.

According to the permit, the Eaux Claire Festival will be on July 17th and 18th on Foster Farm in Eau Claire. The plan has three performance areas, two stages and a tent, featuring artists that will be chosen by Vernon. The festival will offer the opportunity for people to camp on the festival grounds. The application says that 25,000 people are expected to come both of the days.

Vernon wants the festival to have a positive impact on his Eau Claire, his hometown. The event could bring in “eight or nine million dollars” of money into the economy according to the town’s Chamber of Commerce President Bob McCoy.