Sharon Van Etten shares her new single ‘Porta’ and announces UK tour

nme.com:

Sharon Van Etten has shared her new single ‘Porta’ and announced a set of UK tour dates – you can check out both below.The track is Van Etten’s first new music release of 2022, and it follows on from her May 2021 team-up with Angel Olsen on ‘Like I Used To’.Produced by Van Etten (vocals, synths, drum machines) and Daniel Knowles (synths), and backed by her live band of Jorge Balbi (drums), Charley Damski (guitars) and Devin Hoff (bass), ‘Porta’ was written in 2020, Van Etten says, “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,” she explained in a statement. “During this time I felt very dissociated.

Not connected to my body and I felt out of control.”Van Etten said that she then 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,” she continued. “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.