When I first heard Sharon Van Etten’s “Because I Was In Love”, I was moved beyond words. On my first listen I held my breath in stunned silence. How do you even begin to describe in words something that moves you beyond them. There is an underlying beauty to her voice and music that can move people in an unintelligible way. So after seeing the release of this video yesterday, what better than to let you see and hear her magic.
This is the first project of Weathervane Music for the new decade! The video captures the recording/making of Sharon Van Etten’s moving “Love More”.
Love More
[audio:http://www.box.net/shared/static/btvhfv8mby.mp3|titles=Love More|artists=Sharon Van Etten]
Download the track from here.
Sharon Van Etten is Jersey-born, Tennessee-raised, and currently resides in Brooklyn. She grew up playing anything put in front of her: piano, violin, clairinet, and later, joined every choir she could. After being in every musical she auditioned for as a teenager, she decided to start writing her own songs, and began performing live upon moving back to the east coast. There, she started finding her own voice and began her grass-roots style music.
When Sharon began recording she preferred using her first takes on her very lo-fi setup, creating a beautifully private aesthetic that has been described as reading over someone’s shoulder as they write in their journal. “It is important to me to keep everything personal,” says Sharon, “I would like people to know I am singing to them and for them… that I know how they feel.” Crafting hand-made EP’s for her first shows (fashioned from hand cut stencils, recycled paper bags from her liquor store job, and paint) Sharon made it a point to always have a new design and a new set of songs. She also released one much sought after lathe-cut EP as an extremely limited edition of 100 through Abaton Book Company. Soon, she had more than enough to a full length release filled with beautiful, heartbreakingly understated folk.
“In the beginning of 2008, Sharon provided UK tour support for Meg Baird (of Espers) in what would prove to be the most pivotal and inspirational time of her young career. During the tour, Sharon was introduced to Greg Weeks, owner of the Philadelphia based Hexham Head recording studio, and after hearing some of her songs, Weeks jumped at the opportunity to work with her. The success of their collaboration in the studio convinced Sharon to release the album on his label, Language of Stone.
Sharon has played with many of the artists that feature on our Frukie stream including the likes of : Kyp Malone (tv on the radio), Alden Penner (the unicorns), The Delta Spirit, Port O’Brien, The Finches, Bird by Snow, Wildbirds & Peacedrums (leaf label), Peasant, Miles Robinson (as well as contributed vocals for his record), Picastro (polyvinyl), Peter &the Wolf, W-S Burn, Matt Bauer, The Shaky Hands, Matt Gangi, Haley Bonar, Cat Martino, Marla Hansen, Beat the Devil, the Subjects, Scott Mou (collaborates w/ Panda Bear), Matteah Baim, Jana Hunter, Wye Oak, PWRFL PWR, Phosphorescent, Bowerbirds…
Links
http://www.myspace.com/sharonvanetten
http://www.sharonvanetten.com