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We're not any more special because of [our success]. We have this music and we play it and we're extremely honest about it, but I don't think that deserves a pat on the back. I'm not saying it's not good, but it's basically just us. This is who we are. -Justin Vernon |
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As for his influences, Vernon says it's all about folk-icon John Prine. "He's the one. Everything I do is a copy of him."
 Bon Iver by Aaron Landry |
Whether he's onstage or amongst friends, Vernon is the biggest guy in the room, in terms of build and persona. He's a pretty tall dude whose head stands out above a crowd, and regardless of his size, his mixture of humor, sincere warmth and genuine charisma make him the focal point of any crowd he's in. Plenty of folks with this type of presence may feel the need to either shy away from it or exploit it, but with Vernon neither is the case. Rather than embrace or hide from his natural social presence, he seems comfortable with it. He casually joked with his audience about the fact that people have come to expect an encore after an act says they're through, and that nobody has "mastered the art of the encore." Following the show, while folks munched on cheese and crackers, kicking back bottles of Sierra Nevada, a slightly-inebriated Vernon decided to take a seat behind a keyboard and hammered out a sloppy, intentionally humorous take on a Bruce Hornsby tune, as a friend playfully heckled, "You suck!"
Vernon's comfort in his own skin has allowed him to handle the rapid praise heaped upon him from the media. "I see the hype and I can calculate it as overrated," he said. "But so far I don't think we've done anything that's been un-founded by what we've accomplished, and if there has been anything [in the media] that says we're overrated I don't get mad about it. I just think, 'Well you don't know who we are.'"
 Justin Vernon - Bon Iver |
For as much attention as Bon Iver has garnered, Vernon says he's yet to feel as though dealing with journalists has left him burned or jaded, but he doesn't kid himself about the realities of tangling with the press. "I'll tell you this man, there are two kinds of people - the type who are fake and want something from you without having met you, [the type that] want to use you for something," Vernon said. "I've never met any of those people. The rest of the people are... [pauses]. It could be that I give people the benefit of the doubt, but most of the people I've met have said, 'Thanks for your music, man. It's been a big thing in my life.' I just say, 'You're welcome. Thank you.' So far I haven't experienced any bullshit," something he admits is rare.
In addition to keeping his career in perspective, Vernon seems to be very intent on keeping his background at the forefront of who he is and what he values, regardless of the heights Bon Iver reaches, and he's proud of the grounded community he hails from. "There is nothing but 60,000 people in Eau Claire, Wisconsin who are trying to change the world," he said. After thinking about this statement for a moment, he clarified, "[They're] not trying to, they are changing the world."
Vernon said that besides folks making a big deal out of "the whole cabin thing," he thinks it's pretty incredible to be at this stage in his career without feeling manipulated or exploited by journalists, record labels or opportunists. Regarding the picture the press likes to paint of Bon Iver, Vernon said, "It's not degrading, but I recognize it as something that isn't real. It's real [in a way], but whatever. People don't know me. They may want to know me, or may want to know us, but they won't. And if they try to then whatever they know or want to know is more important than anything I could ever tell them. So, I'm pretty relaxed about it."
Even with his fans, who he values immensely, Vernon doesn't feel as though the taste the public's had of him gives them an understanding of who he is. When asked what he'd say to a fan who feels they've connected with him personally through the way his music has moved them, Vernon replied, "I'd tell them that I'm extremely touched that it was my music that did that, but there were a series of musicians and people in my life that directed me to that point." He added, "It's all part of the process. It's all about growing and changing."
When asked about the future, Vernon said that he wants to be remembered as a family member and as a friend, not just a musician. "We're in an extremely humble place, and we're trying to play humble music," he said. "Nothing we're trying to do is supposed to make headlines."
Bon Iver tour dates available here.
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