Out of the Bungalow: An Interview With Bon Iver
by Dustin AllenFor many newly budding musicians, the grassroots exposure of the blogosphere can be a violent catch-22. Just ask Voxtrot, who were hailed as the up-and-coming indie pop revivalists in '06 on the basis of a few self-released EPs, only to be shunned from the limelight when their debut LP hit just last year. Or the once unknown Clap Your Hands Say Yeah! who converted every NPR enthusiast and indie mag staffer, and then reaped but a cold response after releasing their follow-up. In the case of Bon Iver, though, the mangled FranŠ·ais moniker of Justin Vernon, whose self-released debutFor Emma, Forever Ago last year ignited a warm reception from The New York Times and a year-end nod from Pitchfork, fortune seems to be in his favor. That's certainly no fluke as this homespun venture—laid to tape all on his own after absconding to a secluded hunting cabin in the northwestern wilds of Wisconsin—is a jaw-dropping culmination of Vernon's winter-bred musings and painstaking production. Picked for a wider re-release on February 19 after signing to the ever-trustworthy Jagjaguwar records last October, Bon Iver will soon be touting his humble bedroom recordings on tour alongside labelmates Black Mountain and Phosphorescent for the next few months.
