Singer-songwriter Justin Vernon, frontman of Bon Iver and long-time collaborator with Taylor Swift, recently reflected on a surreal moment tied to Swift’s record-breaking Eras Tour. Appearing on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on April 2, Vernon promoted his upcoming album SABLE, fABLE and opened up about the powerful experience of hearing thousands of fans belt out their duet “exile” at Swift’s live shows—even though he’s never performed it with her on that stage.
Justin Vernon was moved by fans singing “Exile” without him onstage
When Jimmy Fallon brought up Taylor Swift’s live performances of “exile”—their hauntingly emotional track from her 2020 folklore album—Vernon was visibly moved. Describing the moment as “out of body, out of body,” he revealed how surreal it felt watching stadiums full of fans passionately sing the song he helped bring to life.
“Sadly we didn’t ever get a chance to sing it with her on her tour,” Vernon said. “She got to come sing it with us but I saw those clips and I’m like, ‘Gosh, they sound better than one of me can sound.’”
His admiration for Swift’s audience didn’t stop there. Vernon called the entire experience “pretty powerful,” saying, “To just see that and to hear how that sounded. It was amazing.”
Vernon’s relationship with Swift goes beyond one song. He also collaborated on the title track “evermore” from her 2020 sister album and has spoken warmly about their creative bond. In a past interview with The New Yorker, he described their first meeting as a surprisingly natural connection.
“I was, like, ‘Wow, you’re somebody that I would have been very close friends with in high school,’” he shared. “‘You’re real and you’re here.’”
Vernon continued, expressing his awe for Swift’s meteoric rise: “To see what she’s been up to, the propulsion, the expansion… I don’t know, it’s just unlike anything anyone’s ever seen. And yet there she was, this person who made a lot of sense to me.”
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As Vernon revisits those emotional musical moments, he’s also looking forward to the release of SABLE, fABLE, Bon Iver’s fifth studio album, set to drop on April 11. With past collaborations and genuine connections like his with Swift, Vernon continues to bridge indie introspection with mainstream impact—proving that powerful music often starts from a place of deep authenticity.
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