Big Red Machine is Aaron Dessner and Justin Vernon's band. Well, it is and it isn't. It is their band, and they make music in it, but the project is more about creating a space for collaboration than anything else. If you have ever been to Eaux Claires music festival, consider Big Red Machine to be the recorded version of that festival. The album features friends Robin Pecknold, Sharon Van Etten and Taylor Swift.
Dessner talks about how they choose who to collaborate with and how sometimes you have to clear it all out and start anew. He talks about meeting Justin Vernon via Myspace while he was working on the project "Dark Was the Night" and how Justin Vernon misinterpreted his reference to the Cincinnati Reds baseball team as a reference to a heart and how it became the band's name, Big Red Machine. Dessner also shares a story of Taylor Swift that embodies her character.