Bon Iver’s Justin Vernon Starts Hip-Hop-Inspired Side Project

Hey, what did you do last weekend? Maybe have a couple of drinks, watch a little television, get together with a few friends? Well, while we were all loafing and enjoying a couple days away from the office, Bon Iver‘s Justin Vernon went and recorded a whole new album — with Minnesota-based rapper Astronautalis.

The name of the new project, which reportedly also includes Bon Iver drummer S Carey and was produced by Gayngs member Ryan Olson, is still being kept under wraps, but NME reports that “they want to put out the music sooner rather than later.” (They’ll probably have to wait until Bon Iver finishes its Coachella sets, but who knows? Maybe this is the prelude to a couple weekends of hip-hop in the desert.)

Astronautalis, who recorded his vocals by freestyling for eight hours over Vernon’s music, described the sessions as “exhilarating.” He also cautioned that you probably don’t know what to expect from the new songs, saying, “A lot of my fans are like, ‘Oh this is going to be amazing: Astronautalis rapping and Justin singing choruses.’ It’s not going to be that.”

Whenever the new album comes out, it seems likely that it’ll see release via Vernon’s new label imprint, Chigliak Records, whose mission statement includes issuing recordings that were “never commercially released” or albums from Wisconsin acts that were “locally released and never put out on vinyl.” This definitely fits the description, and we have to admit — we’re curious to hear what Vernon and Astronautalis are up to here. Are you?