Justin Vernon来自威斯康辛州，唱着细腻民谣，样子却长得跟你想像中不太一样。他不是瘦骨嶙峋、穿着紧身牛仔裤的乐手，相反，他有一副大骨架、落腮鬍，曾是美式足球校队队长，粗犷的外表看来跟嚼着菸草勐力踩踏油门的卡车司机没两样。然听音乐最忌以貌取人，Justin Vernon证明了大块头常有一颗温热的心；而他朴实无华、未经修饰的素人民谣，也要我们在争奇斗妍的乐坛，别忘了适时回归单纯，往往才是美丽的发生地。
动人的作品背后，常有一则低迴的故事。Justin Vernon化名为Bon Iver，成为2008年独立乐界的闪烁新星，其实得归功于那次心无旁骛的遁隐。几年前，他与原属乐团DeYarmond Edison打拼多年的伙伴竟以「理念不合」这毫无创意的分手词划下句点；哥儿们另组新团，徒留他一人困于原地。这才发现，从高中玩团至今，突然无处可去了，除了回家。那就回家吧。
隻身造访威斯康辛州北部，父亲打猎用的森林小屋，展开三个多月遗世独立、全然沉潜的生活。除了每隔一段时日父亲送来日常补给品，他离群索居，自给自足，砍柴、生火与炊事全不假他人之手。与大自然独处的时光，躯体看似冬眠了，内心却是无垠驰骋；而这自我放逐，闭门谱曲的过程，其实就是一次深刻的心理治疗。随着日子一天比一天更冷，沉淀的思绪与从旧爱及回忆中重拾的能量，也让他不再畏寒，准备迎接下一个春天。
透过老旧的录音设备与几只堪用的麦克风，Justin Vernon一人搞定创作、演唱、弹奏与录音。出关后虽至录音室替歌曲添加了鼓组、合音与管乐，For Emma, Forever Ago仍是不疾不徐，处于一座与世无争的柔情世界裡。原音乐器的质地，完美呼应了当时所处的自然环境；呢喃的歌声与层层向上的假音堆积，也召唤着鲜明不已的荒野意象。听着Lump Sum、Blindsided这些曲子，我们虽无法亲莅其境，可是那一个个静谧的雪夜，一片片孤寂的落叶与乾柴烧尽后焦黑表层传导的馀温，竟是如此真实而烫手。
每年总有几张让你彻底卸下心防，感觉活着真好的作品。今年亦然，我们有Bon Iver。
Justin Vernon began recording under the nom de band Bon Iver following the breakup of DeYarmond Edison, an indie folk group similar in tone and manner to Iron & Wine, Little Wings and, to a certain extent, Bonnie "Prince" Billy. Vernon's solo project took DeYarmond Edison's introspective, folky sound and embellished it with squinchy, quirky orchestral touches that nodded to Sparklehorse and a drifty optimism reminiscent of the Flaming Lips. Vernon moved back to Wisconsin the winter following DeYarmond's demise, setting up camp in a remote cabin in the north woods for three months. It was a hugely generative period for Vernon; writing and recording songs in 12-hour bursts, he found himself with a nine-song debut album by spring. He dubbed the project Bon Iver (an intentional misspelling of the French for "good winter"), and the disc, For Emma, Forever Ago, was released on Jagjaguwar in early 2007. Joined in his live shows by Sean Carey, Vernon toured throughout the eastern U.S. and Canada throughout the remainder of the year, sharing the stage with like-minded singer/songwriter Elvis Perkins.
