From Online Poker Player to Indie Music Darling: Justin Vernon’s Meteoric Rise To Becoming Bon Iver

Fri Aug 15 2025
Bon Iver Stockholm Photo Credit Daniel Jordahl Östersund

On September 23, 2025, London’s iconic Roundhouse will host the 15th annual Independent Music Awards, celebrating the best in the indie sector. Among the 10 albums vying for the Best Independent Album prize is Sable, Fable, the latest release from Bon Iver, a project helmed by Wisconsin native Justin Vernon. It’s a nod from the UK’s Association for Independent Music that signals Vernon’s place at the top of the indie world, alongside heavyweights like Fontaines D.C.

What makes this moment remarkable is the slow-burn nature of Vernon’s journey. Far from being an overnight success, his career has been shaped by detours, personal challenges, and unexpected creative outlets. His music, known for its textured layers and emotional honesty, didn’t immediately find mass audiences. Yet over time, Vernon’s artistic persistence, collaborations, and willingness to weave personal experiences, like his surprising connection to poker, into his worldview have propelled him into the pantheon of modern indie.

Bon Iver Release New Video Naeem

Fri Nov 22, 2019
Bon Iver Release New Video Naeem

Bon Iver has released Naeem, the band’s first official, non-lyrical music video since 2012’s Beth/Rest.

The film marks Bon Iver’s first collaboration with Los Angeles-based, Barcelona-born director, AG Rojas, who – after travelling the world as the child of a Colombian writer and Costa Rican painter – has credits including Gil Scott-Heron’s last and Earl Sweatshirt’s first music videos. He has also directed pieces for Kamasi Washington, Florence + The Machine, Emeli Sandé, Run The Jewels, and Zack de la Rocha.

Rojas says, “Naeem is concerned with the potential for intergenerational healing, and how we choose to engage with that potential. All my admiration and love to Cynthia Rodriguez and her child Azul who brought this idea to life, and to Bon Iver for amplifying it.”