My Connection to the Indie Scene

Indie music is not something I pay that close of attention to. I like the music, generally, but just don't make time to keep up with who's who and what's good. Laziness on my part, really. But, I do have a connection.

My childhood friend, Justin Vernon, has been an indie musician in Deyarmond Edison until they broke up. They were a big deal in my hometown, and then replanted in Raleigh, NC and quickly gained a reputation. Then, through a variety of events, they split up (check out Megafaun if you liked DE's sound). Justin headed off to the NW Wisconsin woods to his dad's hunting cabin to figure some things out. He discovers some music in the pit of his soul, cuts a very rustic and different sounding album, releases it on the web, and there is this meteoric rise. Check out www.virb.com/boniver to listen. He eventually signs with a pretty major Indie label, is touring with some fairly big names, getting great reviews from Patchwork, NY Times, and the Boston Globe, and basically gaining a pretty decent following. It seems like it happened all of sudden, which it kind of did.

I'm not blogging to let the rest of the world in on his music (though check it out if you haven't). Enough of the Indie blogging world has done that. I'm writing to brag about my friend. I remember him always wanting to be a musician, about wanting to live in that world and be noticed for it, and not in some rock-star-I-want-to-be-famous kind of way. He loves his music, and wanted to always invite others into it, as many as possible. He dreamed about it from like 5th grade on. When I stumbled across all the press a few nights ago, I literally teared up for him. It was like watching a dream come true. We don't stay in touch, something I regret. I'll probably give him a call. But I wanted to post about him, just in case he stumbles across it to let him know how happy I am for him, and how proud I am to always call him friend. Well done, JD.