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Aug 08, 2019 By Christopher Roberts Bon Iver

Bon Iver (the project of Justin Vernon) was scheduled to release their new album, i,i, on August 30 via Jagjaguwar, but they have released the album three weeks early. Earlier today they shared lyric videos for eight new songs from the album and announced their intentions to release the whole thing earlier (the physical release is still due out August 30). And now you can stream the whole thing below. Also below are Bon Iver’s upcoming tour dates.

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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