Bon Iver Frontman Justin Vernon Announces New Label’s First Release

There's an old joke that says what every actor really wants to do is direct -- but it could just as easily be carried over to the music world, where it seems like any artist with a halfway decent level of success has his own label imprint. Welcome to the club, Justin Vernon of Bon Iver!

Vernon's label, which he's christened Chigliak (ostensibly after Ed Chigliak, the lovable doofus from the '90s TV show 'Northern Exposure'), will make its debut in May with a reissue of 'It's All Aquatic,' the 2003 album from the little-known Wisconsin band Amateur Love. Out May 22 in digital and vinyl formats, 'Aquatic' will be accompanied by a download of previously unreleased material from the band.

Calling Amateur Love's Josh Scott "the ambassador of my heart for many years," Vernon explained the reasoning behind the reissue in a press release, saying, Scott's "songs came from a perspective as snarly as Paul Westerberg, as enchanting as Neil Young, yet he wielded power as beguiling and unique as any songwriter I've ever heard."

Looking back on the album's original release, Vernon recalled, "Amateur Love became one of the most enigmatic and electrifying bands I have ever known. With local legend Jaime Hansen engineering, the band was caught at the rise to their peak of musical power on 'It's All Aquatic' in 2003."

Listen to a track from 'It's All Aquatic' below: