Justin Vernon’s Gayngs Side Project Has Reunited For Their First Song In Ten Years

Justin Vernon has involved himself in a number of endeavors outside of Bon Iver, like the supergroup Gayngs, which was founded by Poliça’s Ryan Olson. The group has been inactive since releasing their 2010 debut album Relayted, which came out almost exactly ten years ago (May 11, 2010). Now, out of nowhere, the group has returned with a new song, “Appeayl 2 U.”

The relaxing and relatively freeform track incorporates influences from soft rock and electronic music (much more so the former than the latter). The song runs for about five-and-a-half minutes, although the last 90 seconds or so are silent. The track features contributions for a large number of the group’s members, including Vernon (on synths and guitar). There are others not part of the group’s original lineup as well, like Velvet Negroni and Naeem Juwan, the latter of whom had an i,i song named after them. Olson’s credited contribution is producing the song.

The group took to Twitter to explain why they decided to put out a new song now, saying, “Tonight the band GAYNGS was scheduled to play at First Avenue as a part of their 50th anniversary shows and an homage to the last time Prince hopped out the back of a minivan, with a guitar strapped on, 2 his club. But PLANS HAVE CHANNGED… so we decided to release one of the new songs that we would have played.”

Listen to “Appeayl 2 U” above.