Bon Iver's Justin Vernon took to a Northern Wisconsin cabin with not much more than a guitar to create his haunting debut. Alone in the wilderness Vernon emerged with Emma, Forever Ago—out now on Jagjaguwar.
When it came time to film a video Justin called on director Matt Amato to capture the somber feel of the album. Only as Amato arrived in Justin Vernon's home town of Eau Claire the director received terrible news: One of his best friends had unexpectedly passed away. Unsure of what to do, Amato stayed the night. Via Jagjaguwar: The next morning, Matt read the lyrics to "The Wolves" and felt as if those were the exact words he needed to hear from his departed friend. That pretty much sealed it. Matt would stay and work, even as the thought of making a video became the last thing on their minds. They built a bonfire and just let it burn all day and into the night, and Matt filmed. The weight of the circumstances propelled the collaboration to a place these sort of projects don't often go. The cathartic spirit of Bon Iver's music had found its kindred spirit in imagery.
Here are the results:
