Exclusive: Carter Faith Shares How Bon Iver Asked Her to Sing on ‘AWARDS SEASON’ - “The Craziest Thing to Happen to Me”

One of the most anticipated releases today (October 18th) has undoubtedly been Bon Iver's first new body of work in over five years, SABLE,, a sparse, beautiful, three-song EP.

Bon Iver - the creation of Wisconsin singer-songwriter, Justin Vernon - has become synonymous with a shape-shifting, ephemeral persona. You're just as likely to hear Bon Iver's signature falsetto looming out of the haze on a James Blake song, as you are to hear him gluing together a Taylor Swift, Kanye West or even Charli XCX track.

Even though Bon Iver's list of collaborators is variegated, for country aficionados, there was a unique buzz of excitement to see North Carolina prodigy, Carter Faith, credited as a backing vocalist on one of the SABLE, stand-outs, ‘AWARDS SEASON’.

It's not the first time Bon Iver has joined forces with a country artist, having teamed up with Zach Bryan for the title-track off his 2023 EP, Boys of Faith. But there's something particularly special about the fact that, unlike Bryan, Carter Faith is not yet - emphasis on yet - selling out stadiums and notching multi-Platinum records.

As a result, Justin Vernon's decision to recruit Carter Faith to sing on ‘AWARDS SEASON’ feels like a lustrous stamp of approval from an artist that rarely initiates collaborations. In the cases of Zach Bryan, Taylor Swift, Kanye West and Charli XCX, Bon Iver was a featured artist, drafted in to sprinkle his ethereal magic into the mix.

On ‘AWARDS SEASON’, Vernon was the one looking outwards, asking Faith to complete the nimbly crafted enigma that is a Bon Iver record. Faith's inclusion is made all the more touching when considering that SABLE, is arguably one of Bon Iver's most personal, candid and direct projects to date, as he drops the veil of digitally contorted howls and flitting, electronic harmonies that pervades 22, A Million and i,i.

Speaking to Holler, Carter Faith explains how her appearance on ’AWARDS SEASON’ came about, “Getting asked to sing on this Bon Iver song is definitely the craziest thing to happen to me so far. I got a call that Justin wanted to try my voice on a song because he loved my song ‘Greener Pasture’. The very next day I went in with Tofer Brown (my producer) and cut the vocal. It was such a whirlwind magical experience”.

Within the universe of Bon Iver and its associated lore, there is always a sense that every fibre of a new project has been meticulously put into place, with Vernon himself often admitting that song-titles and lyrics take on additional intricacies of depth and meaning after their expression. In Vernon's 2024 interview with The New York Times, for instance, he admitted the line ‘I am a sable’ came to him as an unquestionable truth, before he had even researched what the term ‘sable’ meant.

There seems to be a similar feeling of auspiciousness with Carter Faith being chosen for SABLE,. Faith reflects, “I am obviously honoured to be on the song because Bon Iver is one of the greatest artists of our generation, but personally it feels very full circle”.

Carter Faith heartwarmingly outlines her connection to Bon Iver's haunting 2007 hit, ‘Skinny Love’, “The very first song I ever sang with me and my guitar on a stage in front of people was ‘Skinny Love’”, before stressing how, even though she contributed to the project, she still carries the same thrill as everyone else listening to this EP, “But I am honestly just excited as a fan that we get new Bon Iver music”.

Following a slew of enchanting singles, Carter Faith released her keenly awaited EP, The Aftermath, last week (October 11th), with the fast-emerging artist expected to drop her debut full-length album in 2025. With this coveted Bon Iver co-sign under her belt - and maybe even a collaboration with Lana Del Rey on the horizon - you can't help but feel it's shaping up to be a momentous twelve months for Faith.

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