Is Bon Iver Bon Over?
Last night, Justin Vernon answered the question of what’s next for his acclaimed, Grammy-winning band on Minnesota Public Radio, by saying he was “winding it down.”
“I look at it like a faucet,” said Vernon. “I have to turn it off and walk away from it because so much of how that music comes together is subconscious or discovering. There’s so much attention on the band, it can be distracting at times. I really feel the need to walk away from it while I still care about it. And then if I come back to it – if at all – I’ll feel better about it and be renewed or something to do that.
Side note: winning Best New Artist at the Grammys has been a hindrance for many artists’ careers. See: Esperanza Spalding, Milli Vanilli.
Iver said during his acceptance speech: “It’s really hard to accept this award. There’s so much talent out here… and there’s a lot of talent that’s not here tonight. It’s also hard to accept because you know, when I started to make songs I did it for the inherent reward of making songs, so I’m a little bit uncomfortable up here.”
For the next two days, you can stream Bon Iver’s Radio City Music Hall show from September 21 on YouTube.