We’ve been closely observing indie folk band Bon Iver’s pre-release strategy and couldn’t wait to share what stood out to us. With a focus on how artist teams and emerging artists can incorporate these insights into their own music release plan, here’s a breakdown of the ‘SABLE, fABLE’ album coming out on April 11th. 
Bon Iver, the iconic indie folk band led by the brilliant Justin Vernon, first captured hearts in 2006 with their hauntingly beautiful debut album ‘For Emma, Forever Ago’. Packed with falsetto-driven melodies and an air of mystery, it became a genre-defining masterpiece. Now, Vernon and the band are back, building on the magic of their 2024 ‘SABLE’.
This latest work transitions from the sparse, solitary reflections on pain that defined the past to a more vibrant vision of the future—one illuminated by hope, purpose, and possibility. It’s a journey toward new beginnings, marked by love, fresh memories, and perhaps even the prospect of family.
With their newest album set to release on April 11th, 2025, Bon Iver has masterfully built anticipation through a meticulously crafted pre-release campaign. Let’s explore the strategies they used and the valuable lessons you can take away from their approach.
Consistency across all touchpoints
Following the release of their 2024 EP ‘SABLE,’ Bon Iver have been deliberate and consistent in building anticipation for their upcoming album. Positioned as a continuation of the EP, the band has crafted a thoughtful pre-release strategy to maximize reach.
Bon Iver’s strategic posting schedule leading to ‘fABLE’
Bon Iver’s marketing team has executed a highly structured, multi-phase campaign leading up to the April 11 release of ‘fABLE’. Through consistent content drops, engaging visuals, music video premieres, and strategic reminders, the team ensures fans remain immersed in the album’s narrative. The rollout includes multiple posts on key release days, maximizing visibility and reinforcing anticipation.
February 2024: The rollout begins
- February 11 – Double announcement:
- ‘Everything Is Peaceful Love’ release date revealed.
- Official announcement of ‘fABLE’, launching on April 11, with the pre-save link included in the caption and bio.
- February 12 – Merch drop: Introduction of ‘SABLE, fABLE’ merch.
- February 12 – Reminder post: Upcoming release of ‘Everything Is Peaceful Love’.
- February 14 – Release day with multiple posts:
- Launch of Everything Is Peaceful Love with a branded link.
- Debut of the music video for ‘Everything Is Peaceful Love’.
- Additional post promoting the music video to maximize visibility.
- February 17 – Another ‘fABLE; announcement featuring a carousel post with the cover art.
- February 18 – Reminder post for ‘fABLE’s launch on April 11, using a music video.
- February 19 – Another reminder of ‘Everything Is Peaceful Love’, featuring a striking visual.
March 2024: New Music, Visuals & Merch Promotion
- March 6 – Merch + album reminder: A video promoting new merch and encouraging pre-orders of fABLE.
- March 12 – Double announcement of new singles:
- 'If Only I Could Wait' (feat. Danielle Haim) and 'Walk Home', dropping March 14.
- Teaser featuring a music video snippet to build anticipation.
- March 14 – Multi-post release day:
- Launch of 'If Only I Could Wait' (feat. Danielle Haim) and 'Walk Home' with behind-the-scenes visuals of the artists producing music.
- Dedicated post promoting 'If Only I Could Wait' with a video and branded link.
- Visual teaser for 'Walk Home'.
- Live stream event for 'Walk Home' (Trail Cam)
- Revisit the live stream of 'If Only I Could Wait' (Trail Cam) with a link in bio.
- March 19 – Music video push: Listen to Walk Home, streaming everywhere now.
- March 21 – Another promotional push for 'If Only I Could Wait'.
- March 23 – Final teaser with a powerful visual:
- Less than three weeks until fABLE!
- A striking image of the artist holding a salmon, reinforcing the album’s color theme and deep symbolism.
With a carefully timed schedule, Bon Iver’s marketing team ensures sustained excitement, leveraging multiple posts on release days to maximize reach and engagement. The result? A highly immersive lead-up that keeps fABLE at the forefront of fans’ minds and libraries—culminating in its much-anticipated April 11 debut.
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Visual communication streamlined everywhere
In addition to the established posting schedule, Bon Iver made sure all visual communication is in sync across their social platforms, website, and streaming services. By crafting a clean, visually appealing design that tied directly to the song's lyrics and the album's backstory, this approach allowed fans to easily connect the content they encountered across various channels with the upcoming album.
Compelling storytelling
A heartfelt backstory behind the album is shared across various digital platforms, including a dedicated page on the artist's website. The narrative is brought to life through a cohesive and striking visual aesthetic that ties seamlessly to the album's themes.
The use of black symbolizes the darker elements of the album, reflecting Justin Vernon’s struggles with deep anxiety, relentless pressure, fear, depression, and solitude. In contrast, salmon pink represents a brighter, more hopeful side, capturing themes of healing, honesty, and love. Together, these colors embody the emotional duality at the heart of the release.
Sharing a genuine, behind-the-scenes story about an album creates a powerful emotional bond between the artist and their fans. When the narrative is rich with context and readily available across platforms — like a digital Billboard press release — it keeps the album alive in the hearts and minds of the audience, leaving a lasting impact.
Complimentary, album-themed assets
To amplify the success of their pre-release campaign, Bon Iver has curated an extensive range of merchandise to align perfectly with their strategy. Beyond offering a variety of album-themed items—such as T-shirts, hoodies, hats, and tote bags—they’ve ensured the album is available across diverse formats.
Fans can pre-order it in physical formats like vinyl, CDs, and cassettes, or digitally through multiple streaming platforms. Additionally, they’ve launched country-specific custom stores, making the album pre-save more accessible to a global audience.
Extra mile to keep up the hype & foster community
Bon Iver benefits from a record label with strong marketing support—an advantage smaller independent artists often lack. However, their creative approach to building album anticipation offers inspiration for artists of any size. Even on a budget, there are ways to improve a pre-release strategy.
- Leverage Wikipedia - creating a dedicated Wikipedia page for an upcoming release is a simple, low-effort way to generate buzz.
- Make the most of video - A lyric video (like Bon Iver’s 'Walk Home') is a cost-effective promo tool. With more budget, a full music video ('Everything Is Peaceful Love') can create a lasting impact.
- Livestream - Bon Iver’s 24/7 YouTube livestream, featuring serene footage of the woods outside Justin Vernon’s cabin—a setting often referenced in their songs and videos—is a perfect example of a unique, immersive approach that connects deeply with their fans.
- Keep fans in the loop - A well-crafted newsletter is an effective way to achieve this. Bon Iver takes this a step further by curating their newsletter as a community hub, offering fans personalized updates and news tailored just for them.
In conclusion, Bon Iver’s pre-release strategy for ‘SABLE, fABLE’ showcases the importance of timing, consistency, and storytelling. The campaign engages fans through regular content updates, immersive visuals, and carefully planned release dates.
For artist teams, it serves as a valuable example—demonstrating that with thoughtful planning and creative execution, it’s possible to generate momentum around a music release, regardless of the budget. Use this as inspiration to craft your own strategic rollout for your next project.
Create a fan-friendly pre-release landing page in minutes!
Inspired by the campaigns crafted for artists like Bon Iver? Join Linkfire today and design your own effortlessly in just a few clicks.
GET STARTED
