Justin Vernon gets conceptual in the new video for the Bon Iver song “Day One,” which finds him announcing his “retirement” and then holding an open casting audition for his replacement in school gymnasium.
Directed by Jos Diaz Contreras, the clip features cameo appearances from actors Cristin Milioti and Jacob Elordi, plus St. Vincent, Vernon himself, a child in a beard and the song’s guest vocalists, Dijon and Flock of Dimes/Bon Iver touring member Jenn Wasner.
“Day One” can be found on Bon Iver’s latest Jagjaguwar album SABLE, fABLE, which debuted at No. 1 on both Billboard‘s Rock/Alternative and Americana/Folk charts.
Vernon is committed to not touring in the near term in support of SABLE, fABLE, but told an invite-only crowd at an April promo event with Todd Snyder that he will return to the stage at some point.
“I’m not saying I’m not ever going to tour. I’m definitely going to play shows of some kind again. I want to be out there and I want to do that whole thing,” he said. “But I think taking the license to decide that something’s not for you is another one of those things. It may be painful and strange to not do the thing that’s expected of you or that other people who are successful do, but I do think that’s a little bit of that Midwest ethic. I grew up never expecting to have the kind of career I have now. I was hoping that I could hawk CDs out of the back of my Honda CR-V and go home to my little house with a wife and kids. It hasn’t turned out that way, but when you make those hard decisions, they bring rewards.”
For now, he can be heard guesting on Brandi Carlile’s upcoming album, Returning to Myself, which is due Oct. 24.