Bon Iver’s Justin Vernon talks Indigo Girls, Fugazi, and new album ‘SABLE, fABLE’

“This one’s for me,” says Justin Vernon. “It’s about my own personal story and my own growth.” Vernon, the creative mind and voice behind Bon Iver, is talking about his brand-new album SABLE fABLE, which dropped this month.

Bon Iver made a huge splash with their debut album For Emma, Forever Ago in 2008. Since then, Vernon has won Grammy Awards and collaborated with high-profile artists such as Taylor Swift, James Blake, and Kanye West. Earlier this month, Vernon released SABLE fABLE, Bon Iver’s first new album six years.

Vernon sat down with Colorado Sound Morning Show host Ben to talk about his musical inspirations, an old veterinarian clinic, the Indigo Girls, and SABLE fABLE. Below are highlights from their conversation.

Ben: Your new album, SABLE, fABLE, is your first in six years. What would you say separates this album from your previous work?

Justin Vernon: I think this one’s for me. I’ve often just cared about the truth of the songs and everything like that and making stuff for people. But more than anything, this one’s for me. This is dedicated to the people in my life that I love. And really, it’s about my own personal story and my own growth. And more than ever, this is, like I said, it’s for me.

Speaking of albums, I know your self-titled album was, how do I even describe this? It was recorded at an old veterinarian clinic that you bought with your brother. How did that come about?

Well, I’m sitting in said building, although it’s been renovated many times. But it’s just two miles down the road from where I grew up. It was about 2008, and we just moved into this really weird place with an old kind of cruddy indoor pool, and we just started making a studio, and we’ve been making it ever since.

Tell us a little about your Indigo Girls tattoo. That band has to be pretty important to you.

The Indigo Girls are my favorite band, number one of all time, absolutely, without a shade of doubt. And my favorite song of all time is track one on Swamp Ophelia. It’s called “Fugitive.” And when I was coming of age, I think that song describes to me in ways that I still am learning about, in ways I don’t understand, of who I am. It still does that. And I put the lyrics right over my heart. I tattooed them right on there. It’s got to be 15 years old, at least now. Yeah, it’s just the most truthful thing, I think. I’m still trying to live up to the things that I sniffed out when I heard that song first time.

You’ve worked with countless artists. You’ve won Grammy Awards. I mean, you’ve had a very successful career. Is there anything that you are most proud of when it comes to your music career that people might not know about?

Man, by far, the thing I’m most proud of is putting together my crew and my band. Over the years, there’s been lots of different people that have come in and out, but that’s the thing I’m most proud of. There’s no plans right now to get that back on the road, although I don’t know what the future holds, so I can’t comment on it. Really, truly, don’t know what’s going to happen. But that’s the thing I’m most proud of. I think we aren’t the most talented people in the world, but together, we made something that nobody else could make, and I think we were the best at it. And I miss and love them all very, very much.

I ask this to every artist I interview. We are 105.5 The Colorado Sound, so I’m curious, what band or artist would you drive 105.5 miles to go see? This can be any band or artist ever.

Fugazi. Probably the best band of all time.

Oh, well, besides the Indigo Girls.

It’s like most important and best are two different categories.

I do have one last thing for you – and that’s that you have a deeper tie to Colorado than you might think. I recently introduced a local band called Porlolo, and their drummer is a man named Joe Richmond.

Oh yeah, Joe is out here all the time. Joe and I were texting this morning.

He was telling me, “Oh yeah, I’m also a sound mixer for Bon Iver.”

He does the real stuff, man. Yeah, we work together and got lots of crew and family out in the Denver area. Yeah, I love it out there. When I come through, I’ll have to say what’s up.

Well, thank you, Justin, for joining me. I truly do appreciate it.

Appreciate you, Ben. Appreciate the support.