Sharon Van Etten celebrates 10 years of Are We There, one of her most powerful and timeless collections, and announces the Are We There (Anniversary Edition) and ‘Every Time The Sun Comes Up’ 7”, out May 31st via Jagjaguwar. Upon its release in 2014, Are We There was described by Rolling Stone as “a magnificent fourth LP, which grows her trademark examinations of romantic decay to cathedral-like scale,” and by Pitchfork as “her most present-tense album to date, her most immediate and urgent—the peak of a steady upward trajectory.” It garnered collective praise from fans and critics across the globe, and landed on a slew of Best of 2014 lists, including top 25 nods from Uncut, Under The Radar, Paste, MOJO, Pitchfork, New York Magazine, Consequence, A.V. Club and beyond.
The Are We There (Anniversary Edition) will be available in standard black, gray, and silver tri-color split vinyl and the 7” will feature ‘Every Time The Sun Comes Up (Alternate Version)’ backed with ‘Every Time The Sun Comes Up (Live at Sydney Opera House).’
For all the attention that was paid to her 2012 break-through album Tramp, Sharon Van Etten returned to the studio ready and eager to turn another corner, delve deeper, and write with more honesty and vulnerability than ever. The result of that effort was Are We There, a self-produced album of exceptional intimacy, sublime generosity, and immense breadth. From the opening chords of the first song, ‘Afraid of Nothing,’ listeners witnessed a new awareness – a sign of Van Etten in full stride, writing, producing, and performing from a place that seemed almost mythical. It’s a unique power of Van Etten’s; she creates a bond with the listener that few contemporary musicians can match. Always direct, and never shying away even from the most personally painful narratives, many of the songs deal with seemingly impossible decisions, anticipation, and then resolution. Amidst brutal honesty, Van Etten finds moments of levity, as she always does. Her voice and words are as powerful today as ten years ago, and they’re sure to endure for years to come.
‘Every Time the Sun Comes Up’ lifts the album, completing the world Van Etten let us into and resetting us gently for whatever may follow. As described by T Magazine, “the song’s levity is a highlight of the album, with the kind of swagger both Loretta Lynn and Rihanna might envy. It’s as daring as anything she’s recorded.” Since its release, ‘Every Time The Sun Comes Up’ has become an indelible staple of Van Etten’s live shows. In conjunction with today’s release, she reveals the new, upbeat alternative version with an accompanying lyric video. Recorded remotely, Van Etten asked her drummer, Jorge Balbi, to produce it based off of the live arrangement the band has been playing for a few years now. “This version of ‘Every Time The Sun Comes Up’ developed as the band and I were really honing our sound,” comments Van Etten. “We were rehearsing for the We’ve Been Going About This All Wrong Tour, leaning into some of our influences to give the song a more current feel to where we were all creatively at the time. We performed it live and the audience really responded to our new Joy Division-like spin on it. We had the idea to release it to celebrate the Are We There 10-year anniversary and breathe new life into it, which feels like the perfect time.” This version features Van Etten (vocals, guitar, foot tapping), Balbi (drums, percussion), Charley Damski (guitar), Devin Hoff (bass) and Teeny Liebrson (keys, vocals).
Watch ‘Every Time The Sun Comes Up (Alternative Version)’ Lyric Video
When making Are We There, Van Etten knew it was time to record entirely on her terms. At the same time, she recognized this didn’t mean having to go it alone, and she assembled a beloved, now-celebrated community to bring her vision to life. To record, Van Etten found a kindred spirit in veteran music producer Stewart Lerman, whose studio expertise gave Van Etten the freedom to make Are We There the way she imagined. She also enlisted the individual talents of her band, consisting of Doug Keith, Heather Woods Broderick and Zeke Hutchins, and brought in friends Dave Hartley and Adam Granduciel from The War on Drugs, Jonathan Meiberg (Shearwater), Jana Hunter (Lower Dens), Peter Broderick, Mackenzie Scott (TORRES), Stuart Bogie, Jacob C. Morris and Mickey Freeze. The incomparable Richard Swift brought it all home, working with Van Etten on the final mix.
“The whole time I was making Are We There, I was commuting to Hobo Sound from an apartment in the city, and I took a train to the bus station and walked from the Lincoln tunnel to the studio in Weehawken, NJ. Making this record, my bandmates (Doug Keith, Heather Woods Broderick, and Zeke Hutchins) quickly became my family, and I realized I sought refuge in the studio. It was where I felt nurtured. It felt like home. I was able to find myself and I feel like that vulnerability and strength was captured through the collaborations on this album. The name of this album represents, for me, a place I departed from but with an acknowledgment that I haven’t yet arrived.”
— Sharon Van Etten on Are We There 10th Anniversary
Pre-Order Are We There (Anniversary Edition)
Pre-Order ‘Every Time The Sun Comes Up’ 7″
Select Praise for Are We There
“For a wallow in obsessive love, it’s hard to top ‘Your Love Is Killing Me’ on Sharon Van Etten’s fourth album, Are We There” — New York Times
“Are We There was a great deepening—of Sharon Van Etten’s emotional range, of the power of her songwriting, and of the potency of her voice” — Pitchfork, “The 200 Best Albums of the 2010s”
“Van Etten goes several layers deeper, and faster, than most songwriters. Are We There is the kind of album that many people have been trying to make for years and only a dozen or so have pulled off: words, voice and heartbreak.” — New Yorker
“[Sharon Van Etten’s] darkness contains multitudes.” — Rolling Stone on Are We there
“Are We There is a punishing epic of an album, intense and bruised and haunted, staring at listeners from out of a dark corner and daring them to come closer […] a dark drone […] one of the best albums of the year.” — A.V. Club
“Despite all the pain and doubt, Van Etten sounds more confident than ever on Are We There, adding more strength to her vocals without sacrificing the delicate beauty that makes them so haunting.”
— SPIN
“Are We There is the clearest, most cohesive image of Van Etten herself and everything she’s about as a musician.” — Stereogum
“Unflinching, Americana-tinged rock that isn’t afraid to go dark, Van Etten on Are We There mixes little beatbox rhythms, hypnotic melodies and just a touch of twang.” — Los Angeles Times
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