Sharon Van Etten and (&) her new band The Attachment Theory have revealed “Southern Life (What It Must Be Like,” which is set to be featured on their self-titled debut album. The ripping rock track buzzes with fuzzy synths and a strutting drum groove. The bass line helps carry the melodic thrust as Van Etten employs a mesmerizing, rhythmically charged vocal performance. Shoegaze, meet Sharon. Sharon, meet shoegaze. Hell yeah.
Van Etten shared that the track is about “trying to understand people with very different perspectives and backgrounds, while also trying to be compassionate towards our past, present, and future selves. After days of rehearsing the songs from the album and how to execute them live, I was getting tired of hearing myself. I didn’t want to over rehearse the songs to death. And so, for the first time ever, I asked if the band just wanted to ‘jam,’ play without it having to be something, to clear our heads.”
The video for “Southern Life (What It Must Be Like)” was directed by Ethan Dawes, and features 35mm footage from the band’s recent surprise performance at The Viper Room in LA. Check out that clip below, along with some newly revealed tour dates. Expect the album to be out February 7 courtesy of Jagjaguwar.
