The best music news I have heard for a long time! Rejoice! Bon Iver are working on new material, and will hopefully release it sooner rather than later.

With the last album having been released by Wisconsin based Bon Iver in 2011 with ‘Bon Iver, Bon Iver’ the critically acclaimed follow up to their equally praised debut album ‘For Emma, Forever Ago’ in 2007.

Enigmatic lead man Justin Vernon has been busy since the last Bon Iver release, having worked a lot with both Kanye West (featuring on a number of tracks) and James Blake (both featuring on his album as well as collaborating as ‘Fall Creeks Choir Boys’). Vernon had this to say on the announcement in a chat with Billboard:

“I’m no longer winding down,” Vernon said. “I’m not exactly sure where I am with it. I’ve been winding down for a number of years for numerous reasons. For exhaustion, exposure. It’s never died or anything to me. It’s one of those things that needs to be protected in my own spirit.”

Continuing with: “I’ve been working on music, you know, man. It takes a long time, and I’m not sure exactly what it is or what it means to me, and until that happens I won’t really know exactly what sharing it will look like or feel like or when. There’s sort of this internal pressure, not from anybody but myself, to come out with new music for the festival. But I’m not gonna make myself do anything. I really have to take it step by step and have patience and know that the music – if it comes out, it’s gotta be really true, it’s gotta really live with the other records and extend from them and be reborn and all that. There’s a lot that goes into it. I’ve definitely been working on music.”

This news comes after those that saw the inaugural Eaux Claires festival last year or those who have pre-booked tickets to Eaux Claires Deux this year were given a tape of songs that included new material by both Bon Iver and Fall Creeks Choir Boys. See our article on it here.

Listen to one of my many favourite Bon Iver songs below: