Uncut UK – October 2019

OCTOBER 2019 • UNCUT• 87

PEOPLEpeople:
withAaron
Dessner(right)in
“I Big Red Machine

T’Snota coincidencethatsomanyofthetitlesonthealbum
arepeople’snames,”saysVernon,asheshooshiscatoutthe
doorandintothatyard.“Naeem”,withitschurchlypiano
chordsandfranticchorus,wasoriginallycalled“ICanHearCrying”–
oratleastthat’showmostofthemusiciansknewit.ButVernonretitled
itinhonourofitsco-writer,NaeemHanks,a rapperandproducer
popularinthe2000sunderthenameSpankRock.“He’sbeenslepton
buthe’soneofthemostinspirationalartistsI know.It’sthiswhole
personhoodthing,andthealbumtitlehastodowiththisconceptof
a self– andtherelationshipbetweenthatselfandeverybodyelse.All
ofmythoughtshavebeenaboutcommunityinthelastfewyears.”
ForVernon,it’snotjustabouttheconstantinfluxofnewideas
fromhismanyfriendsandpeers.Communityis notmerelya wayto
makeanalbum;it’salsoa reasontomakeanalbum.That’sa fine
distinction,butonethathasinformedsomanyofVernon’sprojects
overthelastfewyears,includingthebandBigRedMachineandthe
collaborativeartsorganisationPEOPLE– bothofwhich Vernon
co-foundedwithTheNational’sAaronDessner.
“Justinremindedmea littlebitabouthowweliketobe,wherewe
justplayingwithanyoneandeveryoneandnotbesoinlovewithyour
ownband,”saysDessner,whoplaysoni,i. “He’sgotthatwonderful
collaborativecommunityinEauClaire,andthey’rereallyopenand
generous.Thewholeideais tohelpfacilitatethatwayofworking.
Ratherthandoeverythingyourselfandkeeptightcontrolover
everything,he’sjusttheopposite.Hewantstoinvitepeoplealong.The
joy of making music is the process,notjusttheshiny,polishedthing
yougetattheendofit.”
Perhapsthat’sonereason
whyi,isoundslikeBonIver’s
mostopenlyspiritualalbum
todate,a meditationonour
responsibilitiestoourvarious
communities.Thisis not
surprising,giventhatVernon
studiedworldreligionatthe
UniversityofWisconsin.
“Thesongsarelikeprayers,”
hesays.“I’vealwaysbeen
obsessedwithmusicandwhat
it doestopeople.BobMarley
wasa hugethingforme– wow,heactuallychangedthepolitical
landscapeinJamaica.I liketheideaofthepowerthatprayerhas.If
musicis thereligion,thenthesesongsareprayertosimplybeing
peopleonEarth.I’mnotnecessarilytryingtofinda God,youknow
whatI mean?A lotofpeoplearen’t.They’retryingtofind ways to
protecttheEarth,tobehonest,andenjoylifehere.”
“Thealbumis notun-gospel-like,”saysHornsby,whoco-wrote
“Man(ULike)”withVernonandsingsonthetrack.“Ithasa bitof
gospelflare.Justin’sinfluencesareverymuchcomingfromchurch,
andyoucanhearinhismusic.It setshimapartfromsomanypeople.”
Or,asVernontestifieson“Faith”:“We have to learn that faith too
declines/I’mnotalloutofmine.”
BonIverhasbeena fighttokeepthingsinperspective,toresist
thelureawayfromEauClaire,tofindtimeforsmallpleasureslike
mowingyouryard.“Wedidn’twanttoexpandtooquickly,”says
Vernon.“TherehavedefinitelybeentimeswhenI hadtosay,‘Let’s
slowthisbitchdown.Thisis toomuchformetohandleasan
individual,allthisenergyandchangeandattention.’Butwe’re
finallytothepointwhereweallfeelready.AndwhenI say‘we’,I
meanthewholeproductionteam.Weallfeellikeit’stimetoshare
thisthingthatwe’vebeenworkingsohardonfor 10 years,toshare
BonIverwithasmanypeoplewhowanttocomeoutandbe a part of
it.We’renotafraidanymore.I’mnotafraidanymore.”
TheexperiencehasfreedsomethingupinVernon.“I’mactually
gettingintoa littleswingofwritingsongsbymyselfagain.Nowthat
we’vefinishedthealbum,I’msittingdownwithpenandpaperand
guitar.There’sbeenalmostzeroofthatinthelastsevenyears.I don’t
knowwhatit’sgoingtobe,if it’sgoingtobemebackalone,but
something’s happening. I’m happy again or something.”

FROM BEES

TO FEATHERS

HowToBu ...JustinVernonsideprojects

VOLCANO

CHOIR

UNMAP

JAGJAGUWAR, 2009

Releasedjusta year

afterForEmma,ForeverAgo, this

lush,melancholycollaborationwith

theMilwaukeepost-rockoutfit

CollectionsOfColoniesOfBeeswas

thefirstindicationthatVernonwas

morethanjustBonIver.Theywould

followit upfouryearslaterwiththe

equally compellingRepave.8/10

GAY N G S

RELAYTED

JAGJAGUWAR, 2010

Thisindie-rock

supergroupwasthe

brainchildofPoliça’sRyanOlsonand

featuredmorethan 20 musicians,

includingHarMarSuperstar,members

ofMegafaun,TheRosebudsand,of

course,Vernonhimself.Theirlone

albumexplores’70ssoftrockand’80s

quietstorm– anintriguingpalette,

evenif theeffectis similartospending

way too longin a jacuzzi.6/10

THESHOUTING

M ATC H E S

GROWNASSMAN

MIDDLEWEST, 2013

Thistriofeaturing

Vernon,fromerDeYarmondEdison

bandmatePhilCookandPeterWolf

Crier’sBrianMoenactuallypre-dates

Bon Iver, although they didn’t get

aroundtoreleasinganalbumuntil

sevenyearsaftertheirfirstshow.

There’sa chummychemistrybetween

them,althoughit’sin servicetoa fairly

uninspiring set of bar-band songs.

5/10

JA S O NF E AT H E R S

DEORO

TOTALLYGROSSNATIONAL

PRODUCT, 2014

OneofVernon’s

strangestandleastsuccessfulone-

offsis thiship-hopprojectfeaturing

Olson,BonIverdrummerSeanCarey

andMinneapolisrapperAstronautilus.

It’sa heavy-handedconcept

albumabouttheSouthbya bunch

ofMidwesternerswhodon’thave

enough gritorgrits.3/10

BIGRED
MACHINE
BIGRED
MACHINE
PEOPLE/
JAGJAGUWAR, 2018
VernonbeganworkingwithThe
National’sAaronDessnerin 2009,
whentheyjoinedforcesona songfor
thecharitycompDarkWastheNight.
Nearlya decadelater,theyexpanded
thatonetrackintoa slow-moving
butspellbindingalbumthathasthe
distinctionofbeingthefirstrelease
fromPEOPLE,thecollaborativearts
organisation they co-founded.
i,i is released on August 30 by Jajaguwar 7/10

“THE

SONGS

ARELIKE

P R AY E R S ”

JUSTIN VERNON

GRAHAM TOLBERT