The long-awaited return of Bon Iver kicks off tonight with the release of new song "S P E Y S I D E", but that's not all. It turns out that Justin Vernon has a couple more songs (plus a 12-second intro) up his sleeve, all compiled together on a new EP, SABLE, – no, it's not a typo, the comma is included. Arriving on 18 October via Jagjaguwar, the EP finds Vernon going almost all the way back to the basics with which he first made his name. Or, as the press release puts it, back to "before being Bon Iver meant playing a part."

The text also alludes to Vernon having emerged from "a slow-burning breakdown" in which he thought about quitting music, referring to SABLE, – named after the colour of near-black – as "a space for Vernon to unpack the darkness, pressure and anxiety that amounted to one of the most trying periods of his life."

The three songs on SABLE, were written between 2020 and 2023 and recorded at Vernon's own April Base studio close to his hometown of Eau Claire, WI, with each song centered around voice and guitar. Bon Iver member Rob Moose adds viola to the apologetic "S P E Y S I D E", with other collaborators providing equally sensitive accompaniment to "THINGS BEHIND THINGS BEHIND THINGS" and "AWARDS SEASON".

Watch the Erinn Springer-directed video for "S P E Y S I D E" below:

The prefix of "CH. 2" suggests that there will be more videos to come.

SABLE, tracklist:
1. ...
2. THINGS BEHIND THINGS BEHIND THINGS
3. S P E Y S I D E
4. AWARDS SEASON

SABLE, is available to pre-order here.