Justin Vernon’s favourite songwriters of all time
Justin Vernon is truly one of the greats of our time. Beloved for his delicate lyricism and constant sonic evolution, over the course of four albums, Bon Iver have mastered both acoustic cosy hits and grand electronic experimentation.
Working with the likes of Taylor Swift, James Blake and The National, Justin Vernon is undoubtedly a deeply respected songwriter. Managing to distil massive emotions into sparse and sentimental lyrics, tracks like ‘Skinny Love’, ‘Flume’ and ‘For Emma, Forever Ago’ have become timeless classics.
In a lot of ways, Bon Iver sounds totally unique. It’s hard to find any references or inspirations that live up to the adventurous sound Justin Vernon has crafted in the project. Taking strains of folk, country, rock, pop and more left-field genres like electronica or shoegaze, it’s hard to predict who Vernon might look to for inspiration.
But Justin Vernon has now revealed his three favourite songwriters, giving fans an insight into his inspirations.
Replying to a tweet by American Songwriter, asking simply, “Who is your all time favorite songwriter?” Vernon responded: “Prine. Indigo Girls. Dylan”.
All folk-leaning, Vernon’s reverence for John Prine, Indigo Girls and Bob Dylan makes so much sense in his own work.
In fact, he’s paid homage to both John Prine and Bob Dylan in the past with two stunning covers. In 2020, on a livestream supporting Bernie Sanders, Vernon played a cover of Dylan’s 1964 The Times They Are a-Changin‘ album track ‘With God On Our Side’. Full of all the classic Dylan touches like his deep storytelling lyrics and penchant for strange, changing rhythms and melodies – you can hear Bob Dylan’s clear influence on Bon Iver.
Similarly, way back in 2012, as a B-side to fan favourite track ‘Towers’, Bon Iver released a cover of John Prine’s ‘Bruised Orange (Chain of Sorrow)’. Rich with harmonies and echoing vocal effects, Justin Vernon’s take on the country classic is captivating. You can undoubtedly hear Prine’s influence on Vernon’s solo releases like Hazeltons, which was written before Bon Iver’s debut album and is a testament to Vernon’s country-folk inspirations.
Sharing a tribute to the singer-songwriter when John Prine passed away in 2021, Vernon wrote that Prine “accepted death as a way of knowing and loving life”.
But Indigo Girls stands out as a unique, modern inspiration, with Vernon once calling their track ‘Fugitive’ his favourite song of all time. Forming in 1985, the duo lean more towards folk-pop or rock than classic country. From the same Atlanta scene that gave the world R.E.M, Indigo Girls merge flavours of Joni Mitchell with classic rock acts like The Jam or The Pretenders – speaking to Justin Vernon’s more rock-infused influences you can hear in the big drum breaks of tracks like ‘Perth’ or the soaring ‘Hey Ma’.
With all these artists in mind, his collaborations with Taylor Swift make so much sense, with the pair clearly both admiring the songwriting greats of country, folk and pop. A brief but fascinating insight, we’d look a peak at Justin Vernon’s Spotify playlists.
