Bon Iver’s Justin Vernon on music festivals, touring Asia, and taking things slow

Justin Vernon, the man behind Bon Iver, has been extremely busy.

Though Bon Iver hasn’t released their follow-up to their sophomore album Bon Iver, Bon Iver, Vernon never stopped creating, releasing solo material and being a part of bands like Volcano Choir and The Shouting Matches.

The cover of Bon Iver's sophomore album, "Bon Iver, Bon Iver"

Vernon is currently busy working on the Eaux Claires Music & Arts Festival—an event he founded with The National’s Aaron Dessner—which is celebrating its second year in Wisconsin this coming August.

Before this, however, he and the rest of Bon Iver will head to the Philippines to co-headline the Wanderland Music & Arts Festival 2016 in Makati City on March 5.

Over email, Vernon talked to GMA News Online about music festivals, touring Asia, having an encounter with The Beach Boys, and where his heart is.

GMA News Online: Fans, including myself, thought that a Bon Iver concert was never going to happen, especially after you said that there wasn’t really any plan to record or go on tour after your Eaux Claires performance last year. We were so happy when you announced the Asian tour. So this isn’t really a question—just a huge thank you. Never thought we’d get to hear you play here!

Justin Vernon: Man, touring and the attention got really hard on me as a person and the one thing I was sure of that I always felt cut short that we weren’t able to make it over to our fans over there. As I figure out how Bon Iver works in life and in practice, this was the first thing I wanted to do … so thank YOU!

Being one of the people behind Eaux Claires, what, to you, makes a good music festival?

Well, music festivals can be very cookie cutter. Plenty of good people, with great intentions who make musical lineups that seem to draw from the same pool of music journalism fashion that exist… and for us, we are trying to CUT through any of that noise and bring forward music that aren’t always popular selling artists, but that bring human expression on the deepest levels.

What was your strangest/most interesting music festival experience?

Playing in-between the Beach Boys and Phish at Bonnaroo a number of years ago. It was a trip! Mike Love came up to us after and said, “You guys sing even higher than we do!” hahahhahaha….

Does this tour of Asia mean that we’re going to hear new material from the band soon? Or is your reason as simple as what you said on social media—you’re going to play in Asia because you’ve never been?

Precisely. I am taking it slow and steady, taking it as it comes. For me it's just important we go play this catalogue for our fans who have supported us over there. First and foremost.

Have you been writing new songs (not necessarily for Bon Iver) lately?

Not really. Been really just trying and learning new things about music and some new gear and musical instruments. Trying to learn new songs.

The Bonnie Raitt cover has become a hit in its own right. Do you normally play covers like this in big shows?

We never really do! But we’ll SEE.

Will you be touring Asia with a nine-piece band? If so, is it challenging to play For Emma with a big band because it’s very different from Bon Iver, with all the additional instruments. (The “Skinny Love” performance on The Colbert Report was brilliant, with the band circled around you and the guitar).

We are playing as an 8-piece band this time. Slightly different instrumentation. Slightly simpler but very expressive. Very excited.

You said in a 2013 interview that Volcano Choir’s where your heart is. May I ask where it is now?

My heart really has been with Eaux Claires. Other things have been tertiary. But those tertiary things seem to be coming to the surface, slowly and surely.

I’m curious: do you have a favorite instrument? Aside from the guitar, what’s the one instrument that you often when writing songs?

Definitely the Teenage Engineering OP-1. It’s the greatest invention in music technology since the Electric Guitar.

Aside from the extremely entertaining faceswapping posts on your Instagram, you recently posted a video. As one fan commented: “What you secretly up to, @blobtower?”

It’s kind of a secret. :) I promise I’ll let ya know! Thanks for the support. — BM, GMA News

The Wanderland Music and Arts Festival will be held at the Globe Circuit Events Ground, Carmona, Makati City on March 5 from 1 p.m. onward.

Tickets are available at SMTickets.com or at any SM Tickets Outlet nationwide.