Bon Iver’s Justin Vernon talks anxiety, Kanye West, and creative freedom

In a new interview, Justin Vernon has spoken about the reasoning behind why, following the release of his second record ‘Bon Iver, Bon Iver,’ he stated it may be the last from the project. He previously said that the band was “winding down”

“I had mental stuff, stuff I felt needed healing,” he told The Guardian in a new feature “and as morose or self-involved as it is, I felt that the only thing I could do was to go into myself a little bit.” He also cited his fame, post-second record and Kanye collabs, as a major factor.

“Having people asking to get their picture taken when you’re just trying to get eggs and not having a good day,” he said, “there are times when it’s just a nuisance, and there are times when it makes me panic. There are people who are straight-up into being famous. And I don’t like that. I think that’s why I had to take a long break.”

He also revealed that during his downtime, he went travelling to Europe, and began to write the beginnings of ‘22, A Million’ in various hotel rooms, struggling to work out how to proceed creatively.

It was Kanye West, he said, who inspired him to get back into the swing of Bon Iver, and showed him the importance of doing things his way. “Kanye speaks of how you have to love yourself,” Justin said. “And believe in yourself. I heard him say something recently: ‘I love myself so other people can love themselves.”

Listen to ‘10 d E A T h b R E a s T ⚄ ⚄ (Extended Version)’ from his new album below.