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Aug 08, 2019 By Christopher Roberts Bon Iver

Update: Bon Iver previously shared seven new songs today, but now they have shared an eighth one, “RABi” (listen below), and announced that they are releasing their new album tonight, three weeks early. Although there’s only one song from the album left to be shared. They shared the eight songs today because the date is August 8 (8/8).

Bon Iver (the project of Justin Vernon) are releasing a new album, i,i, on August 30 via Jagjaguwar. Or maybe they are just releasing it today, because so far this morning they have shared lyric videos for seven new songs from the album: “iMi,” We,” “Naeem,” “Marion,” “Salem,” “Sh’Dia,” and “Holyfields,” (the comma in that last song is part of the song title). Considering they have already shared four songs from the album, that just leaves two more unheard tracks (which we are guessing will also be shared today). Listen to all the songs below.

The album includes two songs Bon Iver shared in June, “Hey, Ma” and “U (Man Like),” via videos for each track. “U (Man Like)” was one of our Songs of the Week. Then when the album was announced they shared two more songs from it, “Jelmore” and “Faith,” via lyric videos for each track.

They also previously announced some new tour dates, launched a new website (www.icommai.com), and shared a cryptic teaser trailer for the album.

The album is the follow-up to 2016’s 22, A Million. The main Bon Iver lineup for the i,i sessions was Vernon, Sean Carey, Andrew Fitzpatrick, Mike Lewis, and Matt McCaughan, with Rob Moose and Jenn Wasner (of Wye Oak and Flock of Dimes).

It features a slew of special guests, including James Blake, Moses Sumney, Bruce Hornsby, Brad and Phil Cook, Aaron and Bryce Dessner, Bruce Hornsby, Channy Leaneagh, Naeem, Velvet Negroni, Marta Salogni, Francis Starlite, TU Dance, and more.

The album was recorded first at April Base in Wisconsin and then at Sonic Ranch in West Texas. When they moved to Sonic Ranch they sometimes took over all five of the studio’s live rooms at the same time.

“It allowed us to feel confident and comfortable, to be completely free of distraction,” said Vernon in a previous press release of recording at Sonic Ranch. “I don’t think I left the property in six weeks. And in many ways the story of the album is the story of those six weeks rather than the almost six years of some of the songs.”

Of the album’s strange title, i,i, Vernon had this to say: “The title of the record can mean whatever it means to you or me. It can mean deciphering and bolstering one’s identity. It can be how important the self is and how unimportant the self is, how we’re all connected.”

Summing up i,i in the press release, Vernon said: “It feels very much like the most adult record, the most complete. It feels like when you get through all this life, when the sun starts to set, and what happens is you start gaining perspective. And then you can put that perspective into more honest, generous work.”

Vernon also had this to say in a previous press release for “Hey, Ma” and “U (Man Like)”: “This project began with a single person, but throughout the last 11 years, the identity of Bon Iver has bloomed and can only be defined by the faces in the ever growing family we are.”

Bon Iver Tour Dates:

8/31 - Missoula, MT - KettleHouse Amphitheater*
9/2 - Vail, CO - Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater∞
9/3 - Morrison, CO - Red Rocks Amphitheatre∞
9/4 - Salt Lake City, UT - Maverik Center∞
9/6 - George, WA - The Gorge Amphitheatre∞
9/7 - Vancouver, BC - Pacific Coliseum∞
9/10 - Portland, OR - Theater of the Clouds∞
9/12 - San Francisco, CA - Chase Center∞
9/15 - Los Angeles, CA - The Forum∞
10/3 - St. Paul, MN - Xcel Energy Center†
10/4 - Rosemont, IL - Allstate Arena†
10/6 - Toronto, ON - Scotiabank Arena†
10/8 - Columbus, OH - Schottenstein Center†
10/10 - Philadelphia, PA - Wells Fargo Center†
10/11 - Brooklyn, NY - Barclays Center‡
10/15 - Boston, MA - TD Garden†
10/17 - Washington, DC - The Anthem†
10/18 - Washington, DC - The Anthem†
10/19 - Raleigh, NC - PNC Arena†

*w/ Indigo Girls
∞ w/ Sharon Van Etten
† w/ Feist
‡ w/ Yo La Tengo

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