He and his father had often spent weekends at the 80-acre rural property-an area they dubbed "the land"-when he was growing up. Vernon's travels brought him to his father's hunting cabin, roughly an hour northwest of his hometown. Snow scenery in Eau Claire County, Wisconsin. He sat on their couch and felt "claustrophobic" and "super-empty." He returned to the road, in search of silence and hoping to be alone. He first stopped at his parents' home while they were out. He drove home to Eau Claire over eighteen hours through the night. He broke-up with his then-girlfriend, Christy Smith, and tossed his recording equipment into the trunk of his car. His depression was fueled by indifference, and he decided to get away from Raleigh and return to his hometown. He sensed he had compromised with bandmates and in his personal life. Vernon, then 25, felt his life had spiraled into mediocrity, as though he had lost the sense of purpose he had a half-decade prior. He lost his money playing online poker, which he viewed as a microcosm for his other problems. Vernon also recorded a solo extended play, Hazeltons, which he distributed in 100 self-made CD-Rs. Afterwards, he spent time as a band member for the Rosebuds his contributions feature on their third album, Night of the Furies. Many of his bands had held similar members-some he had known since his adolescence-which amplified the pain of breaking apart. Members of the band began to fight, and Vernon was kicked out of the group. He started to have health problems: he first contracted pneumonia, then mononucleosis, which developed into a liver infection that kept him bedridden for three months. He worked at a local sandwich shop that he felt took too much time from him. Over the course of his time in Raleigh, he became frustrated with his songwriting as well as personal life. The group chose Raleigh hoping for an adventure and a more vibrant musical scene. DeYarmond Edison became his next musical project, as he graduated from college and relocated to Raleigh, North Carolina in August 2005.
He studied music theory for a time, as well as jazz, but ended up with a degree in religious studies. He and Jensen broke up in the middle of his college years, but would remain friends. One such group, Mount Vernon, consisted of ten members, including saxophonist Sara Jensen, who became his first love. He attended the University of Wisconsin–Eau Claire (UW–Eau Claire), where he played in a number of bands. He saw the folk duo Indigo Girls in concert in middle school and it proved formative on his life. Justin Vernon was born in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, and grew up pursuing music. In 2020, it was ranked 461 on Rolling Stone 's list of the greatest albums of all time. The album's touring cycle lasted two years, ending in late 2009, and visited several countries and music festivals worldwide.
Vernon gathered together several musicians to form a band to tour with. " Skinny Love" became the album's best-performing single and also went gold. It became a major commercial success for Jagjaguwar, an independent label, and has been certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), for combined sales, streaming and track-sales equivalent of over one million units. After several performances and online exposure, he was signed to Jagjaguwar later that year.įor Emma, Forever Ago attracted wide acclaim from music critics, achieving a spot on dozens of end-of-the-year lists, as well as several awards. Though he did not intend to make an album, he received strong encouragements from friends and decided to self-release For Emma, Forever Ago in July 2007. He hunted his own food and spent much of his time isolated.
His folk-infused songs include heavy choral arrangements, featuring Vernon's falsetto, and horns. The record's lyrical subjects include lost love and mediocrity. Vernon abandoned his old songwriting methods and instead focused on wordless melodies that he later set to words, which he felt evoked a more subconscious meaning. The album was recorded at the cabin between late 2006 to early 2007. He left Raleigh and drove to his father's remote hunting cabin an hour northwest of his hometown, Eau Claire, Wisconsin, hoping to be alone. While living in Raleigh, North Carolina, Vernon fell ill with mononucleosis and a liver infection, and grew frustrated with his songwriting and life. The album is principally the work of singer-songwriter Justin Vernon. It was first self-released in July 2007, and later saw wide release on the Jagjaguwar label in February 2008. For Emma, Forever Ago is the debut studio album by American indie folk band Bon Iver.