22, A Million Turns 10

“It's important to make it sound new,” Justin Vernon explained. “It used to be just a G chord on a guitar for many years. The longer I've done it, I've become interested in a bunch of other sounds, too.”It was Sept. 2, 2016. Vernon was seated at a table in a conference room at the Oxbow Hotel in his hometown of Eau Claire, Wisconsin, holding a press conference about his third Bon Iver album. 22, A Million was still about a month away from official release, but after four years in self-imposed exile, the Bon Iver promo machine was finally in motion. In mid-August, the band had debuted the album in full at Vernon’s Eaux Claires festival, a surprise reveal that became all the more surprising when people heard the music.That sense of astonishment went worldwide 10 years ago today, when Bon Iver officially released 22, A Million. In those days, Bon Iver was already an institution. The band essentially spent the length of Barack Obama’s presidential campaign and first term in office becoming one of the most successful indie acts in the world, a designation that could open up incredible opportunities for you in those days without necessarily turning you into a household name. Vernon's suc...