Bon Iver set to release new record in June

Photo by Ben Clark

Justin Vernon performing with DeYarmond Edison at SXSW

​Justin Vernon has kept mostly quiet about his next Bon Iver record until this week, focusing his energy on his side projects (Gayngs, the recent DeYarmond Edison reunion), and -- oh yeah, collaborating with one of the most famous pop stars on the planet. But this week, thanks to an interview he conducted with Rolling Stone, some details are emerging about his second full-length album, which is due out later this year.

Here are eight things we know about Bon Iver's next record so far, cobbled together from a quick chat with Vernon, some recent press, and some things we've gleaned from social media.

1. The record is untitled at this point and will feature 10 tracks, including "Perth," which Rolling Stone says features a marching drum beat and a childrens' choir. "It's a Civil War-sounding heavy metal song," he told the magazine. "It's sort of chaotic, dense, jarring." Other song titles: "Minnesota Wisconsin" and "Beth/Rest."

2. It will drop in June. When we ran into Vernon at the Austin airport on our way out of SXSW, he was already on his way to Los Angeles to do a photo shoot with Vanity Fair to promote the new album.

3. The album involved several musicians from the get-go, a sharp contrast to For Emma, Forever Ago, which was written and recorded alone. "I brought in a lot of people to change my voice -- not my singing voice, but my role as the author of this band, this project," he told Rolling Stone. Musicians include saxophonist Colin Stetson (Tom Waits, Arcade Fire) and pedal-steel guitarist Greg Leisz (Bill Frissell, Linda Rondstadt).

Photo by Erik Hess

Justin Vernon performing with Gayngs at SXSW

​4. Part of that change to a multi-member recording process was influenced by his experience in Gayngs. Vernon says he's channeling some of that band's hyper-collaborative spirit into his Bon Iver project. "I've definitely doubled my band members," he told Spin during a SXSW with Ryan Olson.

5. Vernon calls the next album "the biggest thing [he's] ever tried to do," and took to Twitter to express his excitement about the album as soon as it was finished back in January:



7. The record was mixed by Brian Joseph, who also works with Bon Iver and Gayngs as a touring sound engineer.

8. And last but not least: It might get a little weird.