The brilliant Sharon Van Etten releases her first new solo work since 2020 in the shape of the towering, emotionally charged “Porta.” If you’re not a Van Etten fan, then seriously have a word with your ears. “Porta” was written by Van Etten in 2020 during a time she describes as “one of my lowest lows” as she explains “For most of my adult life I have struggled with bouts of depression and anxiety and coping mechanisms, and I sometimes let those dark moments get the best of me. During this time I felt very dissociated. Not connected to my body and I felt out of control.”
Eventually, Van Etten reached out to her friend, Stella Cook, who runs Base Pilates in North Carolina. “I was seeking a friend, someone to talk to who understands what finding the core means but also knows what my weaknesses are and can help me work around them and find my other strengths. I knew I was entering a no-judgment zone, and I needed to be held accountable for my actions and Stella helped me step up. We would meet once a week on Zoom, have a catch up on life over a quick coffee and then get to work. Then, a day or two later, she would send another video my way so I had something to work towards the end of the week. She was encouraging, but not pushy. If life got in the way, I didn’t feel like I let her down – but I loved our sessions. I looked forward to them. I started feeling closer to her, and closer to myself, and it helped things seem hopeful. And I just wanted to share that with the world,” says Van Etten. “Instead of the darkness. Instead of my fears. My message is to work through them. Even when it’s hard. Even when it hurts. Reach out. Reach out to that friend who helps you reach out towards yourself.”
This Summer, Van Etten embarks on the Darkness Fades Tour of Europe, including five shows in the UK and Ireland. The UK run kicks off in London at Brixton Academy on 17th June, before calling at Birmingham, Leeds, Glasgow and Dublin with support from L’Rain. Tickets go on sale from Friday 11th February at 10 am local time. Full European dates are listed below. Van Etten then returns to the US and heads out with Angel Olsen, Julien Baker and Spencer on the “The Wild Hearts Tour” throughout the Summer.
Sharon Van Etten Tour Dates:
Wed. Mar. 2 – Sat. Mar. 5 – Cancún, MX @ One Big Holiday !
Thu. Apr. 21 – Charlottesville, VA @ The Jefferson Theatre ~
Fri. Apr. 22 – Saxapahaw, NC @ Haw River Ballroom ~
Sat. Apr. 23 – Atlanta, GA @ Variety Playhouse ~
Sun. Apr. 24 – Charleston, SC @ High Water Music Festival
Tue. May 31 – Lisbon, PT @ Aula Magna ^#
Thu. Jun. 2 – Barcelona, ES @ Primavera Sound
Sun. Jun. 5 – München, DE @ Muffathalle ^%
Mon. Jun. 6 – Antwerp, BE @ Openluchttheater Rivierenhof ^%
Tue. Jun. 7 – Hamburg, DE @ Markthalle ^%
Thu. Jun. 9 – Oslo, NE @ Loaded &
Fri. Jun. 10 – Stockholm, SE @ Rosendal, Djurgarden &
Sat. Jun. 11 – Copenhagen, DK @ Syd For Solen &
Mon. Jun. 13 – Berlin, DE @ Metropol ^%
Tue. Jun. 14 – Utrecht, NE @ TivoliVredenberg Grote Zaal ^%
Wed. Jun. 15 – Paris, FR @ La Cigale ^%
Fri. Jun. 17 – London, UK @ O2 Brixton Academy ^%
Sat. Jun. 18 – Birmingham, UK @ O2 Institute ^%
Sun. Jun. 19 – Leeds, UK @ O2 Academy Leeds ^%
Tue. Jun. 21 – Glasgow, UK @ Barrowland ^%
Wed. Jun. 22 – Dublin, IE @ Vicar Street ^%
Thu. Jul. 21 – Vienna, VA @ Wolf Trap Center For the Performing Arts *
Fri. Jul. 22 – Asheville, NC @ Rabbit Rabbit *
Sat. Jul. 23 – Nashville, TN @ Ryman Auditorium *
Mon. Jul. 25 – Austin, TX @ Moody Amphitheater *
Thu. Jul. 28 – Los Angeles, CA @ Greek Theatre *
Fri. Jul. 29 – Los Angeles, CA @ Greek Theatre *
Sat. Jul 30 – Berkeley, Ca @ Greek Theatre *
Tu. Aug. 2 – Troutdale, OR @ McMenamins Edgefield Amphitheater *
Wed. Aug. 3 – Redmond, WA @ Marymoor Amphitheater *
Fri. Aug. 5 – Boise, ID @ Idaho Botanical Garden *
Sat. Aug. 6 – Salt Lake City, UT @ TBA *
Sun. Aug. 7 – Denver, CO @ Sculpture Park *
Tue. Aug. 9 – Minneapolis, MN @ Surly Brewing Festival Field *
Wed. Aug 10 – Chicago, IL @ TBA *
Thu. Aug. 11 – Kalamazoo, MI @ Bell’s Eccentric Cafe *
Fri. Aug. 12 – Toronto, ON @ Massey Hall *
Sat. Aug. 13 – Toronto, ON @ Massey Hall *
Mon. Aug. 15 – Shelburne, VT @ The Green at Shelburne Museum *
Tue. Aug. 16 – LaFayette, NY @ Beak & Skiff Apple Orchards *
Thu. Aug. 18 – Boston, MA @ Leader Bank Pavilion *
Fri. Aug. 19 – Philadelphia, PA @ Skyline Stage at The Mann *
Sun. Aug. 21 – New York, NY @ Central Park Summerstage *
! = with My Morning Jacket
~ = with Mia Joy
& = with The National
^ = Darkness Fades Tour
# = with The Weather Station
% = with L’Rain
* = The Wild Hearts Tour with Angel Olsen, Julien Baker, & Spencer.