Sharon Van Etten is back with her first solo song since 2020 with “Porta.” The anthemic, but calm, song details feelings of loss of selfhood and security. Van Etten sings, “Want to hold head up, donʼt want to stay down/I want to live my life/But you wonʼt allow.”

“Porta” was written in 2020 “at one of my lowest lows,” Van Etten said in a statement. “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. During this time I felt very dissociated. Not connected to my body and I felt out of control.”

The accompanying video shows her in a state of cathartic healing, practicing pilates. The video was inspired by Van Etten’s weekly meetings with her friend Stella Cook, who runs Base Pilates in North Carolina. She says Cook helped her during a rough patch in her mental health during 2020 through their meetings.

“Even when it’s hard. Even when it hurts. Reach out. Reach out to that friend who helps you reach out towards yourself,” Van Etten said.

The single follows Van Etten’s 2021 collaboration album which featured artists like Big Red Machine, IDLES, and Fiona Apple.

This spring, Sharon Van Etten will hit the stage at her Darkness Fades Tour in Europe, followed by the Wild Hearts with Angel Olsen, Julien Baker, and Spencer this summer. Tickets for the Darkness Fades Tour go on sale Friday, February 11 at 10am local time, available for purchase here.

Sharon Van Etten Tour Dates:

Wed. Mar. 2 – Sat. Mar. 5 – Cancún, MX @ One Big Holiday !
Thu. Apr. 21 – Charlottesville, VA @ The Jefferson Theatre ~
Fri. Apr. 22 – Saxapahaw, NC @ Haw River Ballroom ~
Sat. Apr. 23 – Atlanta, GA @ Variety Playhouse ~
Sun. Apr. 24 – Charleston, SC @ High Water Music Festival
Tue. May 31 – Lisbon, PT @ Aula Magna ^#
Thu. Jun. 2 – Barcelona, ES @ Primavera Sound
Sun. Jun. 5 – München, DE @ Muffathalle ^%
Mon. Jun. 6 – Antwerp, BE @ Openluchttheater Rivierenhof ^% Tue. Jun. 7 – Hamburg, DE @ Markthalle ^%
Thu. Jun. 9 – Oslo, NE @ Loaded &
Fri. Jun. 10 – Stockholm, SE @ Rosendal, Djurgarden &
Sat. Jun. 11 – Copenhagen, DK @ Syd For Solen &
Mon. Jun. 13 – Berlin, DE @ Metropol ^%
Tue. Jun. 14 – Utrecht, NE @ TivoliVredenberg Grote Zaal ^% Wed. Jun. 15 – Paris, FR @ La Cigale ^%
Fri. Jun. 17 – London, UK @ O2 Brixton Academy ^%
Sat. Jun. 18 – Birmingham, UK @ O2 Institute ^%
Sun. Jun. 19 – Leeds, UK @ 02 Academy Leeds ^%
Tue. Jun. 21 – Glasgow, UK @ Barrowland ^%
Wed. Jun. 22 – Dublin, IE @ Vicar Street ^%
Thu. Jul. 21 – Vienna, VA @ Wolf Trap Center For the Performing Arts *
Fri. Jul. 22 – Asheville, NC @ Rabbit Rabbit *
Sat. Jul. 23 – Nashville, TN @ Ryman Auditorium *
Mon. Jul. 25 – Austin, TX @ Moody Amphitheater *
Thu. Jul. 28 – Los Angeles, CA @ Greek Theatre *
Fri. Jul. 29 – Los Angeles, CA @ Greek Theatre *
Sat. Jul 30 – Berkeley, Ca @ Greek Theatre *
Tu. Aug. 2 – Troutdale, OR @ McMenamins Edgefield Amphitheater *
Wed. Aug. 3 – Redmond, WA @ Marymoor Amphitheater *
Fri. Aug. 5 – Boise, ID @ Idaho Botanical Garden *
Sat. Aug. 6 – Salt Lake City, UT @ TBA *
Sun. Aug. 7 – Denver, CO @ Sculpture Park *
Tue. Aug. 9 – Minneapolis, MN @ Surly Brewing Festival Field *
Wed. Aug 10 – Chicago, IL @ TBA *
Thu. Aug. 11 – Kalamazoo, MI @ Bell’s Eccentric Cafe *
Fri. Aug. 12 – Toronto, ON @ Massey Hall *
Sat. Aug. 13 – Toronto, ON @ Massey Hall *
Mon. Aug. 15 – Shelburne, VT @ The Green at Shelburne Museum *
Tue. Aug. 16 – LaFayette, NY @ Beak & Skiff Apple Orchards *
Thu. Aug. 18 – Boston, MA @ Leader Bank Pavilion *
Fri. Aug. 19 – Philadelphia, PA @ Skyline Stage at The Mann *
Sun. Aug. 21 – New York, NY @ Central Park Summerstage *

! = with My Morning Jacket
~ = with Mia Joy
& = with The National
^ = Darkness Fades Tour
# = with The Weather Station
% = with L’Rain
* = The Wild Hearts Tour with Angel Olsen, Julien Baker, & Spencer.

The post Sharon Van Etten Shares New Single and Video for ‘Porta’ appeared first on SPIN.