“Struggle helps people come together”: Sharon Van Etten & The Attachment Theory

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Since the early 2010s, when Sharon Van Etten first established herself as a singer-songwriter of deep, introspective indie and alt-rock that revelled in the subtleties, she has done it all alone. She’s always been a solo artist, who wrote and recorded things herself, and her music, personal and intimate, was a deep expression of that.

So it was a surprise to hear that she was releasing a joint album, the self-titled Sharon Van Etten and The Attachment Theory, which was recorded and written with Devra Hoff and Jorge Balbi of her live band, as well as Teeny Lieberson. But during a hyper-connected age when it has never felt easier to feel alone, opening her process to collaboration became a powerful way to respond to a world where people need each other more than ever. It has led to a shift in sound, leaning more into ​’80s synths and sonic aesthetics, with references touching on trip hop and new wave, but still sounding distinctly Sharon Van Etten.

Her last album, We’ve Been Going About This All Wrong, was recorded at the height of the LA wildfire season in 2022. When we spoke in mid-January, the worst wildfires that the city had ever seen were burning at their height. I sat down with Sharon and Devra to hear about that heartbreaking symmetry, making music for the times, and the fortune of having a cool kid while being in the music business.

What should fans expect from the new album?

Devra Hoff: We tried to meet the challenge of the times we’re in with the record. There’s some reference points to ​’80s post punk that I think are pretty apropos right now. I was speaking to somebody about what’s happening around us and they were like: ​“It’s the ​’80s under Reagan and Thatcher times.” It’s not the end of the world, and it’s what led to that explosion of creativity back then, and resistance through art. There’s a lot of heavy vibes on this record, but it’s not without hope.

I feel like post punk is having a bit of a moment, obviously the success of Fontaines D.C. last year springs to mind. But why do you think it’s such a relevant sound right now – is it a ​“fuck the world” attitude that people have?

D: I grew up on punk rock and goth. For me, it’s never been ​“fuck the world”. The sadness and anger is because the world isn’t allowed to be as easy as it should be, and as beautiful as it should be.

Sharon Van Etten: For me, I feel like the record was about nurturing what I could control. I started writing with the band, and communing and recentring with a group of friends that had similar ideals, in order to be able to connect musically in a way where maybe it is defiant. But [the collaborating] was not a political statement as much as a reaction to wanting to feel close to people that I cared about.

It sounds like you have an optimistic outlook.

D: You have to, I think. I personally have to, or else I’d be too scared. The good side of struggle is that it helps people come together and work together, and not feel all alone in things. And I think there is a good precedent for that in culture, and the music and art movement – think about New York with Robert Mapplethope or Jean-Michel Basquiat. Those were all important parts of creating a different culture. I think that has to be seen as kind of an exciting and joyful opportunity.

S: If I’m left to my own devices, I can go pretty dark. But I think if I seek community and find an outlet, and I’m surrounded by people who encourage that, it helps me be positive. Especially in my messaging, I feel like I have a responsibility to what it is I’m saying. I tend not to be overtly political with my music, because at its heart, it came from a therapeutic place. So I’m trying to have a positive message outside of my personal world views and emotional past context. But I’m hoping that I leaned a little more into political hints than I normally do.

The album was recorded in London, and the music video for ​‘Afterlife’ was shot at the 100 Club right? Can you talk about your relationship with the city?

D: [Our producer] Marta Salogni wanted to work at The Church studio that we recorded it at. But we had already talked about going to London for the recording while we were still there writing it. I remember having some idle conversations and there’s a common love that we all share for The Cure, Cocteau Twins, Massive Attack and Portishead. All these bands mean a lot to all of us in different ways, so it made sense to be there spiritually, I think because so much of that music is so rooted in where it’s from.

S: That is definitely true. I feel like all the records I’ve made have been because of where I live and the people that I know. I wanted to push myself outside of my comfort zone and feel like we were going to a destination where I could completely focus on music. Like every day I’m clocking in, clocking out, going to work and connecting without the distractions of my day-to-day domestic life. And Marta is based in London, and I knew that I wanted to work with her.

Your last album, We’ve Been Going About This All Wrong, was recorded during the LA wildfire season. Of course, as we speak the city is experiencing its worst fire in history.

S: One of our friends Josh, who was one of the main people that helped get these songs started – he engineered our writing sessions – lost his and his family’s house. They lived in Altadena and his wife is pregnant with twins right now. And our friend Max who’s part of our team, he’s four blocks away and he’s watering his house and cutting down trees and cleaning debris. A lot of people aren’t really covering [what’s happening] in Altadena and the Eaton Fires, because this was a very diverse area, predominantly Black and creative community. It has the most people displaced outside of the Pacific Palisades – it’s horrible and I feel guilty that I’m not there now. It’s momentous.

D: It’s so devastating to see. We all have such close connections to the city, I’ve lived there in the past, a lot of the band have lived there at one time or another, and I know so many people in Altadena. There’s so many creative people in that neighbourhood, especially in the indie music world. The city is so wild, right? That’s what’s so beautiful about it, so it’s so sad to see the wildlife

S: But seeing all the community activism, and so many businesses and families doing pop-ups and donation centres and constantly resharing resources – it’s community, hope, giving and collectiveness that really help people get through times like these. When you see people come together, in a way, that gives you hope.

Sharon, being a mother has been a key theme of recent albums, can you talk about how your relationship between music and motherhood has evolved to the present record?

S: It’s constantly changing for sure – my overall perspective on how to be an artist, mother, a partner and person. Have you seen that movie Nightbitch with Amy Adams? It’s an interesting perspective of a woman who was an artist and became a mother, who has a lot of these inner monologues about how she’s changed since – you’re a completely different person and it’s totally fine for you to give this part of yourself up. I’m very grateful that I’m in a relationship with somebody who wasn’t expecting that of me, and from the very beginning encouraged us to figure out a way to do both. It’s still a struggle. I still feel a pull even when I’m in my creative space, the guilt of choosing to tour and make a record over being present for my child.

But I have open conversations with my child about what I do, and I couldn’t have asked for a cooler kid. He’s very much a fan of what I do and has encouraged me by saying: ​“You can’t stop singing, mum, what are you talking about?” And I say: ​“You know what happens when I make a record?” Then he’s like: ​“You go on tour, but I get to visit you right?” So, we have these conversations and the guilt is mostly my own, and I have to constantly retrain myself to think about the reasons why I’m doing it.

Sharon Van Etten & The Attachment Theory is now via Jagjaguwar.

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