For Emma, Forever Ago is the debut studio album by American indie folk band Bon Iver.

While living in Raleigh, North Carolina, Vernon fell ill with mononucleosis and a liver infection, and grew frustrated with his songwriting and life.

He left Raleigh and drove to his father's remote hunting cabin an hour northwest of his hometown, Eau Claire, Wisconsin, hoping to be alone.

Vernon abandoned his old songwriting methods and instead focused on wordless melodies that he later set to words, which he felt evoked a more subconscious meaning.

Though he did not intend to make an album, he received strong encouragements from friends and decided to self-release For Emma, Forever Ago in July 2007.

For Emma, Forever Ago attracted wide acclaim from music critics, achieving a spot on dozens of end-of-the-year lists, as well as several awards.

It became a major commercial success for Jagjaguwar, an independent label, and has been certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), for combined sales, streaming and track-sales equivalent of over one million units.

The album's touring cycle lasted two years, ending in late 2009, and visited several countries and music festivals worldwide.

[4][7] He did not intend to stay for long, viewing the excursion as "an opportunity to escape the trap of society, to not pay bills, to play music and live really cheaply.

[9] He had an idea for a song and brought inside his musical equipment, which consisted of several guitars, microphones, and a Power Mac G4 with Pro Tools LE.

[4] He gained freedom in singing in a higher register, feeling he accessed "painful melodies" unattainable in his previous work.

"[10] Vernon later viewed the album as a victory for his mental health, a metaphor for taking "personal steps" to improve his life.

"[25] For Emma, Forever Ago is a summation of Vernon's life events at the time, ranging from "lost love and longing" to mediocrity.

[8] His lyrics on the album aspire to tell stories, which was inspired by musician Bruce Springsteen,[12] and the song structures are unorthodox.

[26] He discarded his old method of songwriting, both metaphorically and literally: on one occasion, an old PowerBook crashed, losing dozens of unfinished old songs.

[11] He had listened to Vienna Boys' Choir recordings months prior, which inspired him to incorporate choral arrangements into his work.

[8] While on tour with the Rosebuds, he asked to play a small solo set, his first, prior to a performance at that year's South by Southwest (SXSW).

[23][31] A release party was held at the House of Rock in Eau Claire on July 8, 2007, marking the album's CD debut.

[34] One of the earliest reviews came from Pitchfork's Stephen M. Deusner, who praised Vernon's "soulful performance," describing the record as "a ruminative collection of songs full of natural imagery and acoustic strums—the sound of a man left alone with his memories and a guitar.

"[40] Rob Sheffield for Rolling Stone christened it a "quiet marvel," praising Vernon's "light touch, with zero interest in narrative or confessional lyrics.

Club characterized it as "quietly startling," opining, "The power is in how these songs sound rather than what the opaque lyrics don't quite spell out.

"[36] Tim Sendra of AllMusic wrote that "For Emma captures the sound of broken and quiet isolation, wraps it in a beautiful package, and delivers it to your door with a beating, bruised heart.

"[35] David Marchese, writing for Spin, suggested Vernon's "sturdy folk chords, earthy melodies, and plainspoken, pastoral lyrics prevent the album from descending into self-pity.

"[43] Uncut's John Mulvey deemed the record "a hermetically sealed, complete and satisfying album" that "operates so securely and intensely in its own world that to listen sometimes seem like an intrusive act.

"[44] Darcie Stevens of the Austin Chronicle described the record as a "paradigm of uninhibited closure, a gentle touch on a sad day," writing, "[Vernon]'s pain is so visceral it provides warmth, the therapeutic definition of music.

"[46] On the other hand, Robert Christgau, in his review for MSN Music, stated that the album ultimately had little to say about "shared aloneness", comparing Vernon unfavorably to Robert Creeley and writing that Vernon's "solitary meditations ... lose definition faster than an angel's breath on a January morn".

[68][69] It achieved its largest international success in Ireland, where it debuted at number 16; it was also a top 40 hit album in Flanders,[70] Portugal,[71] Australia,[72] and Denmark.

[75] "If you'd told me when we put out For Emma, Forever Ago that we would sell almost 100,000 copies on vinyl, I would think that was just absolutely insane," said Nick Blandford, managing director of the Secretly Label Group.

[30] For the major touring cycle after the album's official release, he gathered together several musicians for the trek, including former guitar student Mike Noyce and drummer Sean Carey.

"[11] The band toured with label-mates Black Mountain, which allowed the two groups to attract a "diverse crowd," according to Billboard.