Bon Iver

"A soulful performance full of intuitive swells and fades…initiates the listener into the song’s strange space." —Pitchfork

Another breakout artist from South by Southwest is Bon Iver, aka troubadour Justin Vernon from Eau Claire, Wisconsin. (His stage name is pronounced “bohn eevair,” like bon hiver, French for "good winter," but misspelled on purpose.) Ensconced in his father’s remote cabin after the breakup of his band, Vernon immersed himself in daily chores and snowy woodland peace and quiet that slowly distilled into fresh approaches to both his songwriting and his musical identity. As heard on his debut solo CD, For Emma, Forever Ago, his music gains its strong emotional pull from haunting falsetto vocals and lush choral sections set against sparse instrumentation. Ruminative and rich in elliptical imagery, Bon Iver’s songs touch on loss and isolation yet connect deeply with those open to his heartfelt and exquisitely intimate sound.