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

i chose a bunch of my favourite songs and made a tasty little covers album during lockdown and boy am i thrilled for you all to hear it. listen to Realiti and preorder the record at https://t.co/YghwWtKCIk (1/2) pic.twitter.com/gFxplRph69

— Marika Hackman (@MarikaHackman) September 15, 2020

Covers follows 2019’s Any Human Friend, which was widely received as some of Hackman’s best, most honest and self-proclaimed “unifying and sexy” work. Covers will likely allow Hackman to experiment musically and to pour herself into an album while at the same time taking a step back from the light that she shone on herself and her own experiences throughout Any Human Friend.

In addition to the announcement, Hackman shared one of the ten covers: a version of Grimes’ critically acclaimed ‘Realiti’. If this is a sign of what’s to come on Covers, then we should all be getting quite excited! You can listen to it below.

Hackman’s ‘Realiti’ is completely stripped back. The video that she shared sets her vocals against the visual of a car driving along a motorway at night, which produces the most distinctive feeling. Where Grimes’ original makes its mark with layers of electronic beats and synths, the power of Hackman’s version is all in her melodic, melancholic voice.

In addition to an album announcement and a song preview, Hackman has promised a live stream with her entire band on the release date. She will perform in an empty swimming pool. Tickets are available with an album pre-order, all of which can be found here. Alongside your ticket and album, Hackman instructs you to “bring your armbands.”

Speaking about the concept of the album, Hackman said, “when it comes to covers I like to pick songs which I have been listening to obsessively for a while. It gives me a natural understanding of the music, and lets me be more innovative with how I transform it.” An album dedicated to covers is a great place to really play with music and style, and it seems like this is exactly Hackman’s goal.

She has chosen to take on some major and distinctive artists, but I think we can expect to hear Beyonce like we’ve never heard her before in Hackman’s newest venture. Likewise, there are few other places that you might hear Grimes and Elliott Smith compliment one another – all in all, it points to a carefully thought out tracklist. It might be two months until anyone can get their hands on it, but already this project feels special.

Tracklist:

1. You Never Wash Up After Yourself (Radiohead)
2. Phantom Limb (The Shins)
3. Playground Love (Air)
4. Realiti (Grimes)
5. Jupiter 4 (Sharon van Etten)
6. Pink Light (MUNA)
7. Between The Bars (Elliott Smith)
8. Temporary Loan (Edith Frost)
9. In Undertow (Alvvays)
10. All Night (Beyonce)

This years Green Man festival will see Four Tet – whose real name is Kieran Hebden – play Green Man’s most prestigious slot: Saturday night on the picturesque Mountain stage. Twenty years into his career, electronic producer Four Tet is more popular than ever, having sold out four nights, at London’s Brixton Academy, in October.

It’s here!  The first bumper batch for #GreenMan19 is here – @FourTet & Father John Misty headline with over 60 more, inc. @idlesband @sharonvanetten @stereolabgroop to sink your ears into. Get yer tickets here > https://t.co/Qohqh4RxBy pic.twitter.com/sMMZ75HZ4Z

— Green Man (@GreenManFest) 29 January 2019

Speaking about his slot, Four Tet said: “It’s great to be doing the Saturday night Mountain Stage slot at Green Man 2019! I first played Green Man in 2004 and have always had good times there.”

Droll singer/song-writer Father John Misty is back after his performance on the Green Man stage in 2015. Father John Misty isn’t a newcomer to the festival scene and this years performance at Green Man follows on from other major appearances at UK festivals, which include End of the Road and All Points East.

After it was criticised for its all-male set of headliners, in 2018, the festival is giving a prominent slot to anthemic US singer/song-writer Sharon Van Etten, This follows on from the release of her acclaimed album, ‘Remind Me Tomorrow’. Following their breakthrough, in 2018, Brit-nominees IDLES will be making their Green Man debut, following the release of their critically acclaimed second album, ‘Joy as an Act of Resistance’, last year.

Among the other names announced are enduring Malian duo Amadou & Mariam, Canadian indie rockers Broken Social Scene, and the Anglo-French lounge-pop group, Stereolab, who recently reformed – this is their first announced UK date. Joining them will be folk legend Richard Thompson, jazz groups Sons of Kemet, Ezra Collective and the Comet is Coming, and US indie favourites Car Seat Headrest and Whitney.

Meanwhile, further down the bill you will find Big Thief, Khruangbin, Hen Ogledd, Aldous Harding, Gwenno, Julia Jacklin, A Certain Ratio, Stealing Sheep, Anna St Louis and many more. The full line-up can be seen here. The independent music and arts event Green Man Festival is back for another year, taking place once again in the Brecon Beacons, Wales. Over the years it has grown in popularity, facilitating more and more festivalgoers every year.

Sharon Van Etten has announced details of her massive 2019 tour, which will see the singer/ song-writer perform shows in the US, UK and Europe. The huge tour, will see the star hit the road in Washington, on the 6th of February, and will be brought to an end in Stockholm, on the 11th of April 2019. The UK leg of the tour will begin in Birmingham, on the 21st of March 2019 and will come to an end in Bristol, on the 27th of March 2019.