Justin Vernon on the silence after the song and the end of an era.
Justin Vernon, the voice behind the ethereal soundscapes of Bon Iver, stands at a profound crossroads.
In a recent interview, he revealed a startling personal truth: the creative well from which he has drawn since adolescence has, for the first time, run dry.
“For the first time since I was 12, I’m not writing songs,” Vernon confessed, pointing to his heart. “There aren’t any in here.”
He expressed that he would be “very surprised” if another Bon Iver album ever materialises, describing this new, songless chapter as “scary” but something he is learning to accept.
This year’s SABLE, fABLE, which closes with the tellingly titled ‘Au Revoir,’ may serve as a poignant, final bow, a graceful conclusion to a nearly twenty-year journey of romantic musical expression.
While the future of his own songwriting is uncertain, Vernon remains a vibrant collaborator, recently appearing on HAIM’s new single, suggesting his connection to music’s emotion endures, even if the form is changing.
