2006: Formation of Bon Iver
In 2006, singer-songwriter Justin Vernon founded Bon Iver as an indie folk band. Initially a solo project, the band expanded to include Vernon, Sean Carey, Michael Lewis, Matthew McCaughan, Andrew Fitzpatrick, and Jenn Wasner.
2006: Recording of "For Emma, Forever Ago"
Justin Vernon, seeking solace after a period of personal turmoil, retreated to a cabin in 2006. While not initially intending to create music, he began experimenting with recording, playing all instruments himself and employing heavy editing and overdubs, resulting in the tracks that would become "For Emma, Forever Ago".
May 2007: Collaboration with Sean Carey Begins
Sean Carey, after seeing one of the first Bon Iver shows in May 2007, expressed to Justin Vernon that he could play and sing all the songs. They began playing together afterwards.
June 2007: Initial Attention for "For Emma, Forever Ago"
After its initial release, "For Emma, Forever Ago" started gaining significant attention in June 2007 thanks to a positive review from My Old Kentucky Blog, which helped spread the word about the album.
July 2007: Release of "For Emma, Forever Ago"
Bon Iver, independently released their debut album, "For Emma, Forever Ago," in July 2007. Recorded primarily in a Wisconsin cabin, the album marked a significant milestone for the band.
October 2007: Breakthrough with Pitchfork Review
Bon Iver's "For Emma, Forever Ago" received a positive review from the influential online music publication Pitchfork in October 2007, further boosting the album's visibility and leading to increased interest from the music industry.
October 29, 2007: Signing with Jagjaguwar
On October 29, 2007, Bon Iver decided to sign with the indie label Jagjaguwar after attracting significant label interest following a performance at the CMJ Music Marathon.
February 19, 2008: Official Release of "For Emma, Forever Ago"
After signing with Jagjaguwar, Bon Iver re-released "For Emma, Forever Ago" on February 19, 2008, to critical acclaim.
May 12, 2008: UK and European Release of "For Emma, Forever Ago"
Bon Iver's debut album, "For Emma, Forever Ago," saw its release in the UK and Europe on May 12, 2008, through the renowned indie label 4AD, broadening the band's reach internationally.
May 19, 2008: Featured on "One Tree Hill"
On May 19, 2008, Bon Iver's songs "Blindsided" and "Flume" were featured in The CW's teen drama series "One Tree Hill," introducing the band's music to a wider audience.
October 6, 2008: Featured on "Chuck"
Bon Iver's song "Skinny Love" was featured in the NBC spy comedy series "Chuck" on October 6, 2008, further expanding the band's exposure through television.
December 11, 2008: Performance on "Late Show with David Letterman"
On December 11, 2008, Bon Iver performed their hit song "Skinny Love" on the "Late Show with David Letterman," marking a significant milestone in the band's career and introducing their music to a wider audience.
2008: T-shirt Design for Yellow Bird Project
In 2008, Bon Iver designed a T-shirt for the Yellow Bird Project, a non-profit organization that partners with musicians to raise money for charities worldwide. Proceeds from the T-shirt sales benefited the Interval House women's shelter in Toronto, Canada.
2008: April Base Studios
In 2008, Justin Vernon and his brother purchased a remodeled veterinarian clinic in Fall Creek, Wisconsin, and converted it into April Base Studios.
January 26, 2009: "Skinny Love" in Triple J's Hottest 100
On January 26, 2009, "Skinny Love" was ranked No. 21 in Australian radio station Triple J's annual Hottest 100 countdown, recognizing the song's popularity in Australia.
July 2009: "Skinny Love" in Triple J's Hottest 100 of All Time
In July 2009, "Skinny Love" was ranked No. 92 in Triple J's Hottest 100 of All Time countdown, cementing its status as one of Australia's most beloved songs.
October 2009: Featured on The Fader Cover
In October 2009, Bon Iver was featured on the cover of The Fader magazine's 64th issue, marking a significant moment of recognition for the band within the music industry.
2009: Lollapalooza Performance
Bon Iver performed at the Lollapalooza music festival in 2009.
2010: Collaboration with Kanye West
Bon Iver collaborated with Kanye West on the track "Lost in the World" in 2010, which sampled Bon Iver's "Woods." This marked the beginning of a notable musical partnership between Vernon and West.
March 2011: Performance with GOOD Music at SXSW
Justin Vernon performed alongside Kanye West's GOOD Music label at the South by Southwest (SXSW) festival in March 2011, exposing Bon Iver's music to a larger audience and marking the beginning of a notable collaboration.
March 23, 2011: Rolling Stone Announcement
On March 23, 2011, Justin Vernon revealed to Rolling Stone that a follow-up to their debut album, "For Emma, Forever Ago", would be released in December 2011.
May 16, 2011: "Flume" Featured in "House"
On May 16, 2011, Bon Iver's evocative track "Flume" was featured in the Fox medical drama series "House," showcasing the band's music in a popular television show.
June 17, 2011: Bon Iver Release
On June 17, 2011, Bon Iver released their self-titled album, a 10-song album marking a new musical direction for the band.
August 2011: "Fall Creek Boys Choir" Release
In August 2011, James Blake released "Fall Creek Boys Choir", a collaborative track featuring Bon Iver.
November 30, 2011: Grammy Nominations
Bon Iver received four Grammy nominations on November 30, 2011, for the 54th Grammy Awards, including Best New Artist, Best Alternative Music Album, Song of the Year, and Record of the Year.
December 2011: Expected Album Release
December 2011 was initially announced as the release date for the album that would become "Bon Iver".
December 15, 2011: Pitchfork's Top Album
Pitchfork named Bon Iver's self-titled album the number one album of 2011.
February 2, 2012: Sasquatch! Festival Headliner Announcement
On February 2, 2012, Bon Iver was announced as a headliner for the Sasquatch! music festival.
February 4, 2012: Saturday Night Live Performance
Bon Iver performed "Holocene" and "Beth/Rest" on Saturday Night Live on February 4, 2012.
February 12, 2012: Grammy Awards
Bon Iver won two Grammy Awards on February 12, 2012: Best New Artist and Best Alternative Album for their self-titled album.
November 12, 2012: Tour Break Announcement
On November 12, 2012, Bon Iver announced a break from performing following the conclusion of their 2012 tour.
2012: Hiatus Announcement
During their final performance of their 2012 tour in Dublin, Bon Iver announced a hiatus, stating that it would be their last show "...at least for a while...".
2012: Last Tour Before Hiatus
The Asia tour in early 2016 marked Bon Iver's first tour since 2012.
2012: Grammy Award Win
Bon Iver won the Grammy Award for Best Alternative Music Album for their self-titled album, "Bon Iver," in 2012, marking a high point in their career.
June 30, 2014: "Heavenly Father" Release
Bon Iver released "Heavenly Father" on June 30, 2014, for the soundtrack of Zach Braff's film "Wish I Was Here".
July 18, 2015: Eaux Claires Music Festival Performance
On July 18, 2015, Bon Iver performed their first show in nearly three years at the Eaux Claires Music Festival, debuting two new songs, "666 ʇ" and "89".
November 18, 2015: Asia Tour Announcement
Bon Iver announced a tour of Asia scheduled to begin in early 2016.
March 2016: Asia Tour with New Lineup
Bon Iver's Asia tour, which began in late February and continued into early March 2016, saw the band perform with a new lineup that included Andrew Fitzpatrick and the Staves.
July 22, 2016: Album Teaser
A 22-second live stream with a snippet of unreleased music was broadcast on Bon Iver's Facebook page on July 22, 2016, with the caption '#22days'.
August 17, 2016: "22, A Million" Announcement
On August 17, 2016, Bon Iver revealed the title of their next album, "22, A Million", shared the 10-song tracklist, and released lyric videos for two songs.
August 29, 2016: "33 "GOD"" Lyric Video
The lyric video for "33 "GOD"", the third single from "22, A Million", was released on August 29, 2016.
September 30, 2016: "22, A Million" Release
"22, A Million", released on September 30, 2016, marked a significant stylistic shift for Bon Iver, characterized by experimental sounds and collaborations with the saxophone group Sad Sax of Shit.
2016: Asia Tour
Bon Iver embarked on a tour across Asia in 2016.
2016: Release of "22, A Million"
Bon Iver released their critically acclaimed third album, "22, A Million," in 2016, further solidifying their presence in the music industry.
2018: "Come Through" Collaboration and Album Teasers
In 2018, Bon Iver collaborated with TU Dance for a series of shows called "Come Through". Later in the year, Justin Vernon teased their fourth album during an Instagram Live session.
March 2019: Fourth Album Recording
Bon Iver's fourth album was recorded in Texas throughout February and March of 2019.
June 2, 2019: All Points East Performance and New Music
Bon Iver debuted two new songs, "Hey, Ma" and "U (Man Like)", at the All Points East festival on June 2, 2019. Both songs were subsequently released as singles.
August 30, 2019: "i,i" Release
Bon Iver's fourth album, "i,i", was released on August 30, 2019.
September 2019: Tour Dates Announced
Tour dates for Asia and Europe were announced in September 2019, scheduled for 2020.
2019: "Bon Iver: Autumn" Film Release
"Bon Iver: Autumn," a documentary directed by Andrew Swant, was released in 2019. The film follows the band's preparations for their tour in support of their album, "I, I."
2019: Release of "I, I"
Bon Iver's fourth studio album, "I, I," was released in 2019, demonstrating their continued evolution and experimentation in music.
January 21, 2020: "Blood Bank" EP Reissue Announced
On January 21, 2020, Bon Iver announced a reissue of their debut EP, "Blood Bank," featuring new artwork and both original and live versions of the songs.
April 4, 2020: "Things Behind Things Behind Things" Premieres
Justin Vernon debuted the new Bon Iver song "Things Behind Things Behind Things" during Bernie Sanders' "Where We Go From Here" event on April 4, 2020.
December 10, 2020: "Exile" and "Evermore" Collaborations with Taylor Swift
On December 10, 2020, Taylor Swift released her surprise album "Evermore," which featured Bon Iver on the title track. This followed their collaboration on "Exile," a single from Swift's earlier album "Folklore."
2020: Asia and Europe Tour
Bon Iver had a tour scheduled in Asia and Europe in 2020.
2020: Grammy Award Nomination
Bon Iver's album "I, I" received a nomination for Album of the Year at the 2020 Grammy Awards.
August 6, 2024: Performance at Democratic Rally
Bon Iver performed at a rally in Eau Claire on August 6, 2024, in support of Democratic candidates Kamala Harris and Tim Walz.