Sharon Van Etten is celebrating 11 years of her debut Tramp and can launch an Anniversary Version in March that includes a beforehand unreleased track, “This Is Too Right.” One of the National’s Aaron Dessner’s earliest manufacturing credit, Tramp can also be house to the powerfully poignant single “Serpents”; in the present day, Van Etten is sharing a never-before-seen video for “Serpents” directed by Naomi Yang of Galaxie 500.
“Upon hearing ʻSerpents,ʼ I was struck by the emotion in the song, the raw anger,” Yang says. “I imagined showing this fury escaping and overtaking the room — Sharonʼs rage as expressed in the song manifesting itself in physical space. We made the video on a cold January day in 2012, in an East Village walk-up lo� borrowed from friends. It was me, on camera, with Susanne Sasic running the projections she had designed, and Sharon performing. I am delighted to know that now, on the 11th anniversary of Tramp, the ʻSerpentsʼ video will be seen at last.”
Van Etten has additionally shared a letter to followers about Tramp‘s anniversary:
Dear Reader,
About a yr or two in the past, Naomi Yang (of Galaxie 500) reached out to me a�er she had rediscovered a video that we had made collectively in 2011, in the course of the making of Tramp, simply earlier than the albumʼs launch. It was for the track “Serpents.” At the time, I didnʼt have a lot expertise with music movies. I used to be very insecure about being the main target of a video. Maybe I wasnʼt able to face my demons. I do know it sounds humorous. I might write and carry out them, however dealing with them and baring my soul on digital camera felt like a completely completely different factor, and once I checked out myself, I felt uncomfortable in my very own pores and skin. I selected to not launch the video.
While studying Naomiʼs e mail in the course of the pandemic, and watching this youthful model of myself, I felt empathy for the feelings I used to be attempting to precise within the track and the video kind. I might see the drive inside me to share my soul and join with others that felt an identical drive and desperation for solutions, decision.
The timing was uncanny, approaching the anniversary of Tramp. Thinking about my time in New York whereas within the bubble of Los Angeles and my house. Thinking about how stressed I used to be, and now settled down and secure. Thinking about how Aaron Dessner took an opportunity on me afer I messaged him with a fury of demos. He might see by the hiss and crappy vocals on my GarageBand demos, and that I had one thing to say. He might hear my shitty finger tapping drum beats and knew I had an internal rock child in me. I keep in mind when he handed me his Fender Jag, and advised me to play “Serpents” after listening to the unique demo. He gave me the boldness to be loud and to scream my rage and really feel based and justified in my very own ache. He gave me extra instruments to seek out catharsis in my work. I’ve carried that with me ever since.
Being on the west coast the final two years, I look again on my neighborhood in New York and am endlessly grateful. I had so many associates and friends step up and assist me unfold these demos into the album that it grew to become. Doug Keith and Ben Lord from my unique touring band, Logan Cole, Peter Silberman from The Antlers, Jessica Larrabee from She Keeps Bees, Thomas Bartlett of Doveman, Rob Moose of yMusic, Jenn Wasner of Wye Oak, Julianna Barwick, Zach Condon of Beirut, Matt Barrick (of The Walkmen), Clarice Jensen, Ben Lanz, Bryce Dessner, and Bryan Devendorf (of The National).
I had nearly forgotten a few track titled “This Is Too Right” that didnʼt make it onto the report. It was one of many first guitar “riffs” I had ever written and Jenn Wasner sang on it with me. A track about not believing how good I had it. Like the opposite shoe was about to drop. I nonetheless really feel so fortunate for the issues I’ve gotten to expertise and achieve, and I really feel so blessed to have a good time this anniversary with you. It means a lot that each one these wonderful musicians gathered round me to assist me discover my voice. I nonetheless have a lot to determine, in my life and my work, however I nonetheless really feel the assist and neighborhood to today, although we’re all a bit scattered. I hope everybody that helped make this report, and that supported it, really feel the love and admiration that I proceed to carry for all of you. I hope that in sharing this report once more, with a brand new video and this forgotten observe, that new listeners are introduced in to this album and discover that means and relevance in it in the present day. I’ll have been simply 30 once I made this album, however I used to be a misplaced, damaged, weak child. All of the musicians on this album helped me come to life and carry out in methods I by no means had earlier than.
May these songs discover you properly. Sending all my love.
— Sharon Van Etten
Watch the video for “Serpents” under.
Tramp (Anniversary Edition) can be out 3/24 through Jagjaguwar.