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Feb 08, 2022 By Mark Redfern

Sharon Van Etten has shared a new song, “Porta,” via a video featuring the singer/songwriter working out. Leslie Raymond directed the video, which features Stella Cook as Van Etten’s work out partner. Right now it’s just a standalone single, perhaps in honor of Van Etten’s upcoming The Wild Hearts tour this summer with Angel Olsen and Julien Baker. Check out the video, followed by all of Van Etten’s tour dates, below. Also below is the cover art for the single.

In a press release Van Etten says “Porta” was written in 2020 “at one of my lowest lows. 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.”

It was Van Etten’s friend, the aforementioned Stella Cook, who runs Base Pilates in North Carolina, who helped her through this dark period. “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,” Van Etten explains. “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. 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.”

Van Etten (vocals, synths, drum machines) and Daniel Knowles (synths) produced “Porta,” which also features Van Etten’s live band: Jorge Balbi (drums), Charley Damski (guitars), and Devin Hoff (bass).

Last year Van Etten and Angel Olsen released the joint song, “Like I Used To,” which was shared via a Kimberly Stuckwisch-directed video. The duet easily landed at #1 on our Songs of the Week list and was also #3 on our Top 130 Songs of 2021 list. Then they performed the song with a full band on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. Then they shared an acoustic version of the song and performed the acoustic version on Jimmy Kimmel Live!.

In April 2021, Van Etten released epic Ten, an anniversary reissue of her 2010 Epic album, via Ba Da Bing. It featured covers of the some of the album’s songs by notable artists, including Fiona Apple, Courtney Barnett and Vagabon, IDLES, and more. Van Etten’s most recent new album, Remind Me Tomorrow, came out in 2019 via Jagjaguwar.

Read our in-depth interview with Sharon Van Etten on Remind Me Tomorrow and check out our exclusive photo shoot with her.

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 @ 02 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.

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