Justin Vernon | |
---|---|
Vernon performing with Bon Iver in Gothenburg, Sweden.
|
|
Background information | |
Birth name | Justin DeYarmond Edison Vernon |
Born |
Eau Claire, Wisconsin, United States |
April 30, 1981
Genres | Indie rock, folk, baroque pop, folktronica |
Occupation(s) | Singer-songwriter, Musician |
Instruments | Vocals, guitar, keyboards, banjo, bass, drums, percussion, piano |
Years active | 1998–present |
Associated acts | Bon Iver, Jason Feathers, DeYarmond Edison, All Tiny Creatures, The Shouting Matches, Mount Vernon, Kanye West, Colin Stetson, Megafaun, Volcano Choir, Gayngs, James Blake, The National, The Staves, P.O.S |
Website | http://boniver.org/ |
Justin DeYarmond Edison Vernon (born April 30, 1981) is an American multi-instrumentalist, singer, songwriter and producer. He is best known as the primary songwriter and frontman of indie folk band Bon Iver. Vernon is also a member of the bands Volcano Choir, The Shouting Matches and Gayngs.
Vernon attended Memorial High School in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, graduating in 1999. He then attended college at the University of Wisconsin–Eau Claire, and spent a semester in Ireland. Vernon majored in Religious Studies and minored in Women's Studies. In an interview with Stephen Colbert on The Colbert Report, he said that he was not ready to study music.
Justin Vernon founded the band DeYarmond Edison while attending high school and college in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, where he still resides. DeYarmond Edison's core consisted of Vernon, Brad and Phil Cook, and Joe Westerlund. The band saw varying line-up changes during its five years of existence.
After playing in the Eau Claire music scene, the four band mates decided to leave their longtime home and move to Raleigh, North Carolina to try their musical hand in a new place. The band released two records themselves, the first self-titled and the second titled Silent Signs and an EP of unreleased material is available on their Myspace page. After nearly a year in Raleigh, Vernon left for Wisconsin after a breakup with the band and a girlfriend. The remaining members of DeYarmond Edison went on to form a new band called Megafaun and remain good friends with Vernon.
Vernon came to international prominence with For Emma, Forever Ago, his first album with Bon Iver.