Sharon Van Etten

BIOGRAPHY

Sharon Katharine Van Etten, born February 26, 1981, grew up in New Jersey and briefly studied recording at Middle Tennessee State University before dropping out. After a personal crisis, she returned to New Jersey and worked as a sommelier, then relocated to Brooklyn, where she began performing in small venues and distributing hand-painted CD-Rs of her songs. TV on the Radio's Kyp Malone heard her music and encouraged her to pursue it seriously, and she went on to intern, then work as a publicist, at Ba Da Bing Records. Her 2009 debut, Because I Was in Love, led to a deal with Jagjaguwar, where 2012's Tramp broadened her audience. Are We There (2014) earned some of that year's highest critical acclaim, and Remind Me Tomorrow (2019) appeared on 24 major publications' best-of-2019 lists. Her seventh album, Sharon Van Etten & the Attachment Theory (2025), received universal praise on Metacritic. She has also starred as Rachel in Netflix's The OA and appeared in films including Never Rarely Sometimes Always.

WHY THEY'RE COOL

Van Etten's trajectory is a rare one: from hand-painted CD-Rs sold at Brooklyn shows to critically lauded albums and a recurring television role. Writers at NPR, The Guardian, Rolling Stone and The Independent have singled out her voice, often compared to Siouxsie Sioux, describing it as raspy, elegant and luminous. Are We There drew some of 2014's highest acclaim, Remind Me Tomorrow landed on two dozen best-of-2019 lists, and her 2025 record with the Attachment Theory earned universal praise on Metacritic, evidence of an artist still expanding her sound after more than a decade of confessional songwriting shaped by influences like Ani DiFranco.

GEORGE'S PLAYS

First time on the station.

PLAYED ON WOKE1

• Every Time the Sun Comes Up1 PLAY