DeYarmond Edison

DeYarmond Edison
Company type	Indie folk band
Industry	Music
Founded	2002 in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, United States
Defunct	September 2006
Fate	Disbanded; reunited for performances and releases
Headquarters	Eau Claire, Wisconsin; later Raleigh, North Carolina, United States
Key people	Justin Vernon, Brad Cook, Phil Cook, Joe Westerlund, Christopher Porterfield
Products	Music albums and EPs

Adapted from the English Wikipedia article DeYarmond Edison, available under CC BY-SA 4.0Updated 30 November 2025

DeYarmond Edison served as the foundational ensemble for future members of Bon Iver, Megafaun, and Field Report. Guitarist and lead vocalist Justin Vernon went on to establish Bon Iver; Brad Cook (bass, guitar), Phil Cook (keyboards, banjo), and Joe Westerlund (percussion) became the core of the indie folk band Megafaun, while Christopher Porterfield created Field Report. Brad Cook has also gained recognition as a notable producer within the indie music community, working with artists such as Waxahatchee and Suki Waterhouse.

History

The group originated among friends in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, evolving from Justin Vernon's earlier project Mount Vernon and adopting its name from his two middle names. The members initially connected at the H.O.R.D.E. Festival in 1997, strengthened their bond at a Wisconsin jazz camp, and performed together before officially forming DeYarmond Edison in 2002. Their musical style blended folk and Americana with contemporary atmospheric and electronic influences. They recorded two albums locally in Eau Claire: DeYarmond Edison and Silent Signs.

Following the development of a regional fanbase, the band moved to Raleigh, North Carolina to pursue broader opportunities. They experienced moderate acclaim, including a five-show residency at Raleigh's Bickett Gallery; however, they eventually parted ways due to creative differences and personal circumstances. The split occurred after Vernon suffered a serious bout of mononucleosis affecting his liver. The dissolution was announced via their MySpace page in September 2006, accompanied by the release of a five-track EP, with four tracks offered as free downloads.

After the breakup, Vernon returned to Wisconsin where he wrote and recorded For Emma, Forever Ago during three months of seclusion, marking the beginning of Bon Iver's acclaim. Meanwhile, three former members formed Megafaun and released Bury the Square, while Porterfield launched Field Report with his debut album arriving in September 2012.

Reunion

DeYarmond Edison reunited for a performance at the Fader Fort sponsored by Fiat during SXSW 2011. In 2016, they collaborated with Bruce Hornsby to record a rendition of The Grateful Dead's "Black Muddy River" for Day of the Dead, the twenty-fifth compilation supporting the Red Hot Organization, produced by Aaron and Bryce Dessner from The National.

Epoch

In June 2023, the band revealed plans for a box set entitled Epoch, comprising 5 LPs, 4 CDs, and an extensive 60,000-word book authored by longtime associate and executive producer Grayson Haver Currin. This collection features early Mount Vernon sessions, a newly remastered version of Silent Signs, Bon Iver precursor recordings titled hazeltons, tapes from Megafaun’s inaugural rehearsal, plus live recordings. The Epoch set was released on August 18, 2023.