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Feb 03, 2012 By Mike Hilleary Bon Iver

Bon Iver has been doing a bit of press over the past few days, and Justin Vernon himself has been providing all kinds of choice informational nuggets pertaining to a number of topics. According to an interview with Billboard, Bon Iver were apparently offered the opportunity to play this weekend’s upcoming broadcast of the Grammys. The band declined however, when they found out they would have to duet with another artist.

“We wanted to play our music, but we were told that we couldn’t play,” said Vernon. “We had to do a collaboration with someone else. And we just felt like it was such a large stage. We’re getting nominated for this record that we made, me and Brian [Joseph] and a bunch of our fucking friends, and we were given accolades for it. And all of a sudden we were being asked to play music that had nothing to do with that. We kind of said ‘fuck you’ a little bit and they sort of acted like they wanted us to play, but I don’t think they wanted us to play.”

Admitting that he holds respect for the band they were asked to pair with and “would love to play a song with [them] ... fuckin’ rock n’ roll should not be decided by people that have that job. Rock n’ roll should be the fucking people with guitars around their backs. And their friends. And their managers.”

In an additional interview with USA Today Vernon also revealed that he has been writing songs with R&B artist Alicia Keys, is working on an album with Volcano Choir, and is interested in doing an American Songbook with various female singers (including Keys, Bonnie Raitt, and White Hinderland’s Casey Dienel). Just don’t expect another Bon Iver album anytime soon. “I don’t have songs written yet,” he said. “I’m guessing three years. But it could be five. It could be only one more. It just depends when the songs come about. I sort of have to wait till they reveal themselves.”

(www.boniver.org)