Justin Vernon

DEDICATION: Episode EF42 is dedicated to Justin Vernon, the singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and creative genius behind the band Bon Iver. Called the greatest songwriter of his generation, Vernon is known for creating richly layered music accompanied by deep lyrics and haunting vocals. From his Grammy-winning album For Emma, With Love which is a solo singer-songwriter masterpiece, to the innovative full-band powerhouse that is 22, A Million — all in only one album iteration — Vernon (and Bon Iver) are the musical embodiment of evolving faster.

Individuality mixed with isolation can be a catalyst for self-destruction; but a select few like Vernon will turn this chemistry into genius. If you’re familiar with the story of his Thoreau-like metamorphosis, then his dedication for Episode S2E3 will make sense. Justin’s words are baked into the episode for the astute listener; the lyrics were chosen specifically because they had a profound impact on me when I saw Bon Iver live at Summerfest in 2019.

The music Vernon creates with Bon Iver can make you feel both existentially exhausted as well as optimistically transcendent at the same time. There is no touring band more powerful to see live than Bon Iver (ok, Tool as well!), in my opinion, so get to a show asap, because you never know … it might be over soon.

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