Justin Vernon facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Justin Vernon
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Vernon performing with Big Red Machine in 2019
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Justin DeYarmond Edison Vernon |
| Born | April 30, 1981 Eau Claire, Wisconsin, U.S. |
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| Years active | 1998–present |
Justin DeYarmond Edison Vernon (born April 30, 1981) is an American singer, songwriter, and musician who can play many instruments. He is most famous for being the lead singer and main songwriter for the indie folk band Bon Iver.
Vernon is also a member of several other bands, including Volcano Choir, Big Red Machine, The Shouting Matches, and Gayngs. He was also in a band called DeYarmond Edison that is no longer together. Vernon is known for his unique high-pitched singing voice, called a falsetto, and has won many awards for his music.
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Early Life and Education
Justin Vernon grew up in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, where he still lives. He went to Memorial High School and started his first band, Mount Vernon, in 1997. He met his bandmates at a high school jazz camp in Wisconsin.
After graduating in 1999, he went to the University of Wisconsin–Eau Claire. He studied Religious Studies and Women's Studies. He later said he wasn't ready to study music in college at that time.
Music Career
Before Bon Iver
In 2001, Vernon started his music career with a solo album called Home Is, using the name "J.D Vernon". He later released two more solo albums, Self Record (2005) and Hazeltons (2006).
While in college, he formed the band DeYarmond Edison with his friends Phil Cook, Christopher Porterfield, and Joe Westerlund. The band moved to Raleigh, North Carolina, to grow their music career. They released two albums, DeYarmond Edison (2004) and Silent Signs (2005).
In 2006, Vernon left the band and moved back to Wisconsin. The other members of DeYarmond Edison later formed new bands called Megafaun and Field Report.
The Start of Bon Iver
Vernon became famous worldwide with his first album as Bon Iver, called For Emma, Forever Ago. He recorded the album by himself in a cabin in northern Wisconsin during the winter of 2006-2007. He was dealing with health problems and a difficult time in his life.
He released the album himself in 2007. After getting great reviews, it was officially re-released in 2008.
Success and New Sounds
In 2012, Bon Iver won two Grammy Awards: Best New Artist and Best Alternative Music Album for their second album, Bon Iver, Bon Iver. After this success, Vernon decided to take a break from the band. He said he needed to step away to keep his ideas fresh.
The band's third album, 22, A Million, came out in 2016. It had a very different sound, using a lot of electronic instruments and voice effects. This was a big change from the acoustic, or non-electric, style of his earlier music.
In 2019, Bon Iver released its fourth album, i,i. This album featured many other musicians working together. In 2025, the band released its next album, SABLE, fABLE.
Other Music Projects
Vernon loves to work with other artists and has been part of many different bands and projects.
- Volcano Choir: A band with members of another group, Collections of Colonies of Bees. They released the album Unmap in 2009.
- Gayngs: A large group of musicians from different bands. They released the album Relayted in 2010.
- The Shouting Matches: A blues-rock band with his friends Brian Moen and Phil Cook. They released the album Grownass Man in 2013.
- Big Red Machine: A project with Aaron Dessner from the band The National. They released their first album in 2018.
Working with Other Artists
Vernon has worked with some of the biggest names in music. He sang on several songs for Kanye West's album My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy (2010) and Yeezus (2013). He even performed live with West at big music festivals like Coachella and Glastonbury.
In 2020, he worked with Taylor Swift on her albums Folklore and Evermore. He co-wrote and sang on the song "Exile" and helped with several other tracks.
He has also produced albums for other artists, like Kathleen Edwards and Land of Talk.
Eaux Claires Music Festival
Vernon started a music and arts festival called Eaux Claires with Aaron Dessner. The festival takes place in his hometown of Eau Claire, Wisconsin. At the 2016 festival, Bon Iver performed their album 22, A Million for the first time.
Discography
Here is a list of some of the albums Justin Vernon has made with his different bands and on his own.
Solo Albums
- Home Is (as JD Vernon, 2001)
- Self Record (2005)
- Hazeltons (2006)
DeYarmond Edison
- DeYarmond Edison (2004)
- Silent Signs (2005)
- Epoch (2023)
Bon Iver
- For Emma, Forever Ago (2007)
- Blood Bank (2009)
- Bon Iver (2011)
- 22, A Million (2016)
- i,i (2019)
- SABLE, fABLE (2025)
Other Bands
- Unmap (2009) - with Volcano Choir
- Relayted (2010) - with Gayngs
- Grownass Man (2013) - with The Shouting Matches
- Big Red Machine (2018) - with Big Red Machine
- How Long Do You Think It's Gonna Last? (2021) - with Big Red Machine
