Bon Iver

Bon Iver

Bon Iver is a US indie folk band from Eau Claire, Wisconsin, formed in 2006 and active to the present. The group centres on Justin Vernon and also includes S. Carey, Matt McCaughan and Michael Noyce. Its sound is associated with indie folk, contemporary folk, folk, folktronica, ambient pop and art pop.

History

The name Bon Iver comes from the French phrase bon hiver, meaning “good winter”. It is pronounced “bon ee-VAIR”. Vernon treats Bon Iver as one of his most significant projects. He also founds the indie-rock bands Mount Vernon and DeYarmond Edison while at high school and college in Eau Claire, where he lives.

Albums and recognition

Bon Iver’s debut album, For Emma, Forever Ago, is independently released in 2007. Most of it is recorded during a four-month stay in a remote cabin in Wisconsin, and the record is first self-released in a run of 500 copies before selling out. It is later picked up by Jagjaguwar for a wider release and also issued in the UK and Europe by 4AD. The album receives strong critical acclaim, including 5/5 and “Album of the Month” reviews from MOJO and Uncut, and it becomes the third highest rated album of 2008 on Metacritic. Publications including The Village Voice, The Hartford Courant and The A.V. Club also praise it.

The band’s second album, Bon Iver, Bon Iver, is released in 2011 and receives widespread acclaim. Pitchfork names it the best album of 2011 in its annual list. At the 2012 Grammys, the album wins Best Alternative Album, and the group also receives Best New Artist.