REIGNING POP PRINCESS Taylor Swift and Wisconsin indie auteur Justin Vernon, of the band Bon Iver, have now collaborated on not one but two albums together in the last year. And, if record sales are any indication, it seems reasonable to expect more from them in the future. We asked local music industry insiders how they feel about the prospect.
Luke Lavin
OWNER, BULLSEYE RECORDS (1627 E. IRVING PL.)
“I think artists grow when they collaborate. Swift’s material from her early days is just too pop for me. Adding some of Justin’s indie rock sensibilities makes her music more appealing. I give it two thumbs up.”
Submit your projects for our annual Home & Design Awards!
Evan Rytlewski
WEB EDITOR, 88NINE RADIO MILWAUKEE; CONTRIBUTOR, PITCHFORK
“Justin Vernon has long been open to working with music’s biggest stars – he’s already been on an Eminem album and nearly a dozen tracks with Kanye West – so the Taylor Swift collaborations aren’t really out of character for him. It is pretty wild, though, that a pair of Taylor Swift albums were the closest thing we got to an Eaux Claires festival in 2020.”
Zach Pietrini
AMERICANA MUSICIAN
“I’m just upset T-Swift didn’t ask me. I guess she lost my number . But hey, anything that helps people take pride in the great music coming out of their cities and states, not just industry towns, is fine by me.”
