Tuesday, February 25, 2014

Sharon Van Etten Announces New Album, Out May 27th On Jagjaguwar, And Summer Tour


[above image by Dusdin Condren]


For all the attention that was paid to her 2012 break-through TrampSharon Van Etten is an artist with a manifest hunger to turn another corner. Writing from free-flowing emotional honesty and vulnerability creates a bond with the listener that few contemporary musicians can match.  Compelled by a restless spirit, Van Etten is continuously challenging herself. Now, the result is Are We There, a self-produced album of exceptional intimacy, sublime generosity and immense breadth.

While most musicians are quite happy to leave the production end of things to someone else, with Are We There, Van Etten knew it was time to make a record entirely on her terms. The saying goes "fortune favors the bold" and yet this boldness had to be tempered. For this, Van Etten found a kindred spirit in veteran music producer Stewart Lerman whose expertise gave her the freedom to make Are We There the way she imagined. Originally working together on Boardwalk Empire, they gently moved into new roles, rallying around the idea of collaborating in Lerman's studio in New Jersey.

It is clear from Are We There's opening chords, we are witnessing a new awareness, a sign of Van Etten in full stride, writing, producing and performing from a place that seems almost mythical, were it not so touchable and real. Always direct, and never shying away from even the most personally painful narratives, Van Etten's songwriting continues to evolve. Many of the songs deal with seemingly impossible decisions, anticipation, and then resolution. She sings of the nature of desire, memory, of being lost, emptiness, of promises and loyalty, fear and change, of healing and the true self, violence and sanctuary, waiting, of silence. The artist who speaks in such a voice is urging us to do something, to take hold and to go deeper.

Sharon Van Etten's Are We There is out May 27th on Jagjaguwar. After a series of warmup shows in the Northeast, her initial nationwide tour in support of Are We There will kick off the second week of June with three New York shows and culminate in Chicago at the Pitchfork Music Festival. A full list of dates is below.

Are We There album trailer - http://youtu.be/CeMrf2OZQy8 

Sharon Van Etten Tour Dates:
Thu. May 8 - Northampton, MA  @ Iron Horse Music Hall
Fri. May 9 - Hudson, NY @ Helsinki Hudson
Sat. May 10 - Providence, RI @ Columbus Theatre
Sun. May 11 - Hamden, CT @ Ballroom at the Outer Space
Sun. May 25 - Brussels, BE @ Botanique Grand Salon (Nuits Botanique)
Wed. May 28 - Paris, FR @ Café de la Danse
Fri. May 30 - Barcelona, ES @ Primavera Sound
Sun. June 1 - Koln, DE @ Studio 672
Mon. June 2 - Berlin, DE @ Privatclub
Tue. June 3 - Amsterdam, NL @ Bitterzoet
Thu. June 5 - London, UK @ KOKO
Wed. June 11 - Boston, MA @ Sinclair
Thu. June 12 - Brooklyn, NY @ Music Hall at Williamsburg (Northside Festival)
Fri. June 13 - New York, NY @ Bowery Ballroom
Sat. June 14 - New York, NY @ Bowery Ballroom
Tue. June 17 - Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club
Wed. June 18 - Philadelphia, PA @ Union Transfer
Thu. June 19 - Millvale, PA @ Mr. Small's
Fri. June 20 - Cleveland, OH @ Beachland Ballroom
Sat. June 21 - Nashville, TN @ Exit In
Tue. June 24 - Denver, CO @ Bluebird Theater
Wed. June 25 - Salt Lake City, UT @ Urban Lounge
Sat. June 28 - Los Angeles, CA @ El Rey Theatre
Sun. June 29 - San Francisco, CA @ The Independent
Mon. June 30 - San Francisco, CA @ The Independent
Wed. July 2 - Portland, OR @ Doug Fir
Thu. July 3 - Portland, OR @ Doug Fir
Sat. July 5 - George, WA @ Sasquatch Festival
Sun. July 6 - Vancouver, BC @ Rickshaw Theatre
Tue. July 8 - Calgary, AB @ Republik
Wed. July 9 - Edmonton, AB @ Starlite Room
Mon. July 14 - Fargo, ND @ Aquarium
Wed. July 16 - Minneapolis, MN @ First Avenue
Thu. July 17 - Madison, WI @ University of Wisconsin
Fri. July 18 - Chicago, IL @ Pitchfork Music Festival

Pre-Order Are We There:
Jagjaguwar bundle - http://smarturl.it/sharonvanetten

Sharon Van Etten online:

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