Artist of the Week: Bon Iver

Sean Miehl, Staff Writer

January 23, 2014

Possibly the most mispronounced name in the music industry today, Bon Iver, formed in 2007 by lead singer and guitarist Justin Vernon. The project started in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. Originally a solo project of Vernon’s, the band grew to include various members.

The name is a play on the french phrase bon hiver, meaning “good winter”. The phrase is said after the first snowfall of the year, in the hopes that it will be a good winter.

After his previous project, DeYarmond Edison, concluded, Vernon secluded himself in a cabin in Northern Wisconsin. During his time there, he wrote and recorded Bon Iver’s first album For Emma, Forever Ago. It was released in 2007. The album was released to critical acclaim, and eventually would gain a gold certification by the RIAA. The success of the album brought Vernon into the spotlight.

The follow up to For Emma, Forever Ago was released in 2011 and was called Bon Iver, Bon Iver. It was universally acclaimed, was noted as being one of the year’s best albums. The record debuted at #2 in the United States, and the album has since gone on to sell 500,000 copies in the United States, earning a gold certification by RIAA.

In 2012, Bon Iver won two Grammy Awards. The band won the awards for Best New Artist and Best Alternative Music Album.

All of Bon Iver’s material has been released through Jagjaguwar Label, based in Bloomington, Indiana.

The band’s musical style is very unique in today’s day and age. The sound is very diverse. Acoustic guitars paint a beautiful folk sound. Soft bass guitar is the foundation of the melody. Various instruments accent the sound including: horns, violins, keyboards, and varied percussion.

Lyrically, Vernon takes a transcendental approach. Topics discussed in lyrics are magnificence, nature, love, and humanity.

Vernon’s vocal style draws from classic soul and funk singers. Vernon’s voice is full of emotion. The singer is particularly known for his falsetto voice.

According to genre, the band is usually classified as indie folk. They have also been described as folk rock, baroque pop, and soft rock.

Bon Iver has been at the forefront of alternative music, and will continue to be for quite some time.

About the Contributor

Sean Miehl, Staff Writer

Walking through the halls of Bethel Park High School, one will catch a glimpse of an energetic guy shaking the hands of all his peers. Sean Miehl's charismatic enigma is prevalent at the high school. Sean joined Hawk Eye and the journalism class to sharpen his writing skills, hoping that it'll give him an edge in college. Sean's main aspiration is to major in journalism at a four year college. "I joined Hawk Eye to improve my writing skills and to also gain some experience in the writing field," Sean said. "I'm thinking about going into journalism later on in life." Post high school Sean is looking into majoring in journalism or political science preferably at Ohio University. Sean is a diverse character. He admires music and going to concerts as well as playing inline hockey for Bethel Park. Miehl said, "I enjoy music and going to concerts. Music is apart of my life." In addition, Sean loves longboarding after school. A longboard is a skateboard of bigger size that allows the rider to make sharper turns and easier cuts. Sean said, "Aside from working at Ace Hardware and playing inline hockey for Bethel Park, I enjoy riding my longboard around Bethel Park." Sean's goals for Hawk Eye this year go above and beyond. His vision is to upload articles and videos quicker and on a larger scale. Sean said, "I want to see a successful, fresh, constant stream of articles. Also, more features that blend well with the student body. I want to make Hawk Eye apart of every student's experience here at Bethel Park High School." Expanding Hawk Eye means a lot to Sean. This past year, Hawk Eye, as a publication, won "silver" from the Pennsylvania School Press Association, a scholastic press association that represents PA. "I want to see Hawk Eye win gold next year. It's all about improvement," Miehl said. Sean's unique character will add a special flare to Hawk Eye. Sean said, "I think my enthusiasm will bring something special to the table." Sean's energetic character will add freshness to Hawk Eye. With Sean aboard, Hawk Eye can fully spearhead any task or obstacle in its path. Written by: Adam Larson, Editor-in-Chief