Big Time is an album about the expansive power of new love, written during the time Olsen was coming out as queer, and having her first experience of queer love and heartbreak. But this brightness and optimism is tempered by a profound and layered sense of loss. During Olsen’s process of coming to terms with her queerness and confronting the traumas that had been keeping her from fully accepting herself, she felt it was time to come out to her parents, a hurdle she’d been avoiding for some time. “Some experiences just make you feel as though you’re five years old, no matter how wise or adult you think you are,” she writes of that time. After that tearful but relieving conversation, she celebrated with her partner, their friends, oysters, and wine. “Finally, at the ripe age of 34, I was free to be me.” Three days later, her father died; his funeral became the occasion for Olsen to introduce her partner to her family. Only two weeks later Olsen got the call that her mother was in the ER. Hospice came soon after, and a second funeral came quickly on the heels of the first. Another trip back to St. Louis, another grief to face, another deepening and intensification of this still-new love. Three weeks after her mother’s funeral she was in the studio, recording this incredibly wise and tender new album, Big Time.

“I can’t say that I’m sorry / when I don’t feel so wrong anymore,” the record begins, her voice softer and more open than ever, as if she’s singing through a hard-won smile. “All the Good Times,” a twangy banger with nods to JJ Cale, starts the album on a triumphant and bright note. The song’s video, starring Olsen and her partner, was directed by Kimberly Stuckwisch, who worked on last year’s “Like I Used To” video. Stuckwisch comments, “Angel’s story is a gift. It allowed me to visually explore the universal themes of love, loss, and most importantly what holds us back from realizing our true selves.”

Playful bits of Tammy Wynette and Kitty Wells appear on Big Time, as do the complex orchestrations of her genre-bending 2019 record, All Mirrors. While that record was full of dramatic shifts and twists, here the surprises come in their simplicity—a slow swell of strings, instrumentation that cycles like a storm, or sparkling horns in a light-flooded break-up ballad, and there’s hardly a synth in sight. Big Time was recorded and mixed with co-producer Jonathan Wilson at his Fivestar Studios in Topanga, California. Drew Erickson played piano, organ, and handled string arrangements, and Olsen’s longtime bandmate, Emily Elhaj, played bass throughout.

Instead of the usual pre-order fare, every CD and LP copy of Big Time ordered directly from the artist or label store will include an additional charge to offset the carbon emissions of each piece. Jagjaguwar, in partnership with Terra Lumina Consulting, calculated emissions and costs to achieve a carbon negative product for “cradle-to-grave” use of each physical piece: from the mining of materials, to pressing and shipping, to the electricity consumed by your stereo at home, to end of life disposal. Carbon offsets will be purchased through Native, supporting the Medford Spring Grassland project. Pre-order the album here.

Later this summer, Olsen will embark on The Wild Hearts tour alongside Sharon Van Etten, Julien Baker, and Spencer… Additionally, today, she announced a fall European tour, on sale this Friday. All shows are listed below, you can get tickets here:

18/10/22 – London – Brixton Academy
19/10 – Bath – The Forum
20/10 – Edinburgh – Usher Hall
21/10 – Manchester – Albert Hall
24/10 – Dublin – Vicar Street

In Van Etten’s words, “Porta” was written in 2020 “at one of my lowest lows. 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.” Eventually, Van Etten reached out to her friend, Stella Cook, who runs Base Pilates in North Carolina. “I was seeking a friend, someone to talk to who understands what finding the core means but also knows what my weaknesses are and can help me work around them and find my other strengths. I knew I was entering a no-judgment zone and I needed to be held accountable for my actions and Stella helped me step up. We would meet once a week on Zoom, have a catch up on life over a quick coffee and then get to work. Then, a day or two later she would send another video my way so I had something to work towards the end of the week. She was encouraging, but not pushy. If life got in the way, I didn’t feel like I let her down – but I loved our sessions. I looked forward to them. I started feeling closer to her, and closer to myself, and it helped things seem hopeful. And I just wanted to share that with the world,” says Van Etten. “Instead of the darkness. Instead of my fears. My message is to work through them. Even when it’s hard. Even when it hurts. Reach out. Reach out to that friend who helps you reach out towards yourself.”

Darkness Fades Tour coming your way! Sign up for early access to tickets X https://t.co/iXBSjjJSdR pic.twitter.com/LchexkYcys

— Sharon Van Etten (@sharonvanetten) February 8, 2022

This spring, Van Etten will embark on the Darkness Fades Tour of Europe before heading out with Angel Olsen, Julien Baker and Spencer on the ‘The Wild Hearts’ Tour this summer. All information for both of these tours can be found here. The Wild Hearts tour will, unfortunately, not be stopping in the UK. So, if you want a chance to see Sharon Van Etten, the Darkness Fades Tour is your best shot. See Van Etten’s UK tour dates below.

17/6/22 – O2 Brixton Academy – London
8/6 – O2 Institute – Birmingham
19/6 – O2 Academy – Leeds
21/6 – Barrowland – Glasgow
22/6 – Vicar Street – Dublin