In an interview with Billboard, Bon Iver frontman Justin Vernon discussed being asked to play at the Grammys, but in collaboration with another band. Bon Iver rejected the invitation. Vernon told Billboard, “We wanted to play our music, but were told that we couldn’t play. We had to do a collaboration with someone else. And we just felt like it was such a large stage, we’re getting nominated for this record that we made. Me and Brian [Joseph] and a bunch of our fucking friends and we were given accolades for it, and all of a sudden we were being asked to play music that had nothing to do with that. We kind of said ‘fuck you’ a little bit and they sort of acted like they wanted us to play, but I don’t think they wanted us to play.”
So who did the Grammys want Bon Iver to play with? “Awesome people. People that I would love to play a song with,” Vernon said. “But you know what? Fuckin’ rock n’ roll should not be decided by people that have that job. Rock n’ roll should be the fucking people with guitars around their backs. And their friends. And their managers.”
