Does Sharon Van Etten have an alter ego?

Sharon Van Etten did something unusual in the lead up to the release of her latest album — no advance singles, no lyric videos, no abundance of promotion. One day, there was no music; the next, a full album, meant to be experienced front to back in one sitting. It’s a calculated risk in the hyper-competitive world of new music — but for Van Etten, the risk was worth what she was trying accomplish with We’ve Been Going About This All Wrong. Written during the pandemic, it’s an intimate and moving collection of songs that are stronger because of how they all fit together.

I caught up with Sharon to talk about the circumstances that led to the album, why every album coming out is a pandemic record, and if she does, in fact, have an alter ego. So let’s get into it with a performance recorded in front of an audience at a surprise show at Union Pool in Brooklyn.