Bon Iver is an American indie folk band formed in 2007. At the origins of the group is the talented Justin Vernon. The group's repertoire is filled with lyrical and meditative compositions.
The musicians worked on the main musical trends of indie folk. Most of the concerts took place in the United States of America. But in 2020, it became known that the team would visit Russia for the first time.
The history of the creation and composition of the Bon Iver group
The group has a very interesting history of creation. To feel the moment of the birth of an indie folk band, you should go back to 2007. Justin Vernon (the future founder of the project) was going through a difficult period of his life.
The De Yarmond Edison group broke up. Justin worked with her for a long time, his girlfriend left him, and he struggled with mononucleosis. In order to switch in a positive way, Justin decided to move to his dad's forest house for the winter. The dwelling was placed in a picturesque place in the north of Wisconsin.
The young man was forced to spend days in bed due to exacerbation of mononucleosis. He had no choice but to watch soap operas on TV. Once he became interested in a fascinating series about the inhabitants of Alaska. In the next series, the guy saw that during the fall of the first snowflakes, the locals adhere to the ritual. They wish their neighbors a good winter, which means "bon hiver" in French.
Calmness and silence contributed to the fact that Justin again wrote musical compositions. He admitted that during his illness he experienced an emotional upheaval that turned into depression. Writing tracks was the only thing that saved the guy from the blues.
Preparing the debut album Bon Iver
Creativity so captivated the guy that Justin got used to work and prepared enough material for the release of his debut album. This period of his life can be described in words from the Woods musical composition:
- I am in the forest,
- I recreate the silence
- Alone with my thoughts
- To slow down time.
In addition, the guy already had accumulated musical material. Before leaving the bustling city and moving into a forest hut, the musician collaborated with The Rosebuds. Not all the compositions composed by Vernon were included in the team's record, so he decided to use some of the unreleased works. Justin included a new creation in the collection For Emma, Forever Ago.
Justin made the most of his time, and soon he created a new musical project, Bon Iver. Vernon didn't plan to sail alone. Soon his team was replenished with musicians:
- Sean Carey;
- Matthew McCogan;
- Michael Lewis;
- Andrew Fitzpatrick.
To sing, the team rehearsed for days. Then the musicians decided to give an impromptu concert. The new team managed to vividly tell about themselves with their tracks. Several prestigious labels became interested in the group at once.
Music by Bon Iver
The team did not think long and chose the indie label Jagiaquwar. The official presentation of the debut album For Emma, Forever Ago took place in early 2008. The album's tracks organically combined elements of indie folk. Music critics compared the work of the new band with the creation of the cult band Pink Floyd.
The peak of the group's popularity
The debut work was warmly received by critics and music lovers. This motivated the musicians not to change the direction of their work. In 2011, the group's discography was replenished with a second studio album. We are talking about the compilation with the same name Bon Iver. At the end of the year, the group received two Grammy awards at once. During this period, the indie folk band was at the peak of its popularity.
The new album was released only in 2016. The musicians had a firm position - they were not ready to record low-quality material. First of all, the songs should be liked by the band members themselves. The guys selected the best of the best for fans of their work.
The record, which was released in 2016, was called 22, A Million. The collection supported the general style of previous albums. The only difference is the amplification of the chamber-pop genre. The songs included in the collection sounded even more lyrical and poignant. The musicians increased the drama of the compositions, and the sound became more original and rich.
The release of each album was accompanied by a large tour. Concerts of artists were held on both sides of the ocean. The band mostly worked solo. But sometimes the musicians entered into interesting collaborations. In 2010, music lovers enjoyed the song Monster, which featured Kanye West, Rick Ross, Nicki Minaj and others.
In addition, Bon Iver was lucky enough to work with Peter Gabriel and James Blake. The artists who worked with the band noted how easy it was to work with the musicians.
Bon Iver today
In 2019, it became known that the musicians were working on a new album. In the fall, the band went on a tour - information about the concerts was posted on the official website of Bon Iver.
The album "I, I" is a creation that appeared in 2019 after three years of silence. On the day of the presentation of the disc, an animated video clip appeared for the title track Yi. The musicians thanked James Blake, Aaron Dessner of The National, producers Chris Messina, Brad Cook and Vernon for their help during the recording of the album. At the end of August, the team went on tour.
In 2020, the musicians actively toured. The Bon Iver group will visit the Russian Federation for the first time. The concert will take place in the Moscow club Adrenaline Stadium on October 30th. Whether this event will take place against the background of the coronavirus pandemic, no one knows for sure.
In addition, in 2020, the musicians presented a new track. We are talking about the musical composition PDALIF. The new creation of the Bon Iver team is remarkable not only from a musical point of view, but also because the guys will donate all the proceeds to the Direct Relief charity foundation. The presented fund provides support to doctors and health workers who are fighting the coronavirus pandemic.
The musicians put a powerful message into the new track: "Light is born in darkness." This means that you can find peace and harmony in any conditions and under any circumstances.
Fans can learn the latest news from the life of the group from the official page. In addition, the team has an Instagram page. On the official website, "fans" can purchase clothes with the band's logo, and even collections of vinyl records.
