Sharon Van Etten shares dark new single ‘Porta’ and details UK tour
The track was written in 2020 at one of Van Etten's "lowest lows"
Sharon Van Etten has returned with a new single and shared details of a 2022 UK tour – listen to new track ‘Porta’ below.
The new track is Van Etten‘s first single ‘Like I Used To’, her 2021 duet with Angel Olsen. Her last full-length album was 2019’s ‘Remind Me Tomorrow’.
In a statement accompanying the track’s release, Van Etten said ‘Porta’ was written in 2020 at one of her “lowest lows”.
She added: “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,” she explained in a statement. “During this time I felt very dissociated. Not connected to my body and I felt out of control.”
Revealing how she reached out to a friend who ran a pilates studio, she said: “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.”
She added: “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.”
Listen to ‘Porta’ below.
This summer, Van Etten will embark on a full UK and European tour, beginning in Portugal in late May and featuring UK dates in London, Birmingham, Leeds and Glasgow as well as a slot at Barcelona’s Primavera Sound festival.
Elsewhere in 2022, Van Etten will play North American shows with Olsen and Julien Baker this summer as part of the Wild Hearts Tour.
Van Etten has also announced a UK and European tour for this summer, which includes dates in London, Birmingham, Leeds and Glasgow.
Tickets for the UK/EU shows go on sale on Friday (February 11) at 10am local time here. See the full list of dates below.
MAY 2022
31 – Aula Magna, Lisbon
JUNE 2022
2 – Primavera Sound, Barcelona
5 – Muffathalle, Munich
6 – Openluchttheater Rivierenhof, Antwerp
7 – Markthalle, Hamburg
9 – Loaded, Oslo
10 – Rosendal, Djurgarden, Stockholm
11 – Syd For Solen, Copenhagen
13 – Metropol, Berlin
14 – TivoliVredenberg Grote Zaal, Utrecht
15 – La Cigale, Paris
17 – O2 Brixton Academy, London
18 – O2 Institute, Birmingham
19 – O2 Academy, Leeds
21 – Barrowland, Glasgow
22 – Vicar Street, Dublin