Watch Sharon Van Etten Play an ‘Apocalyptic Mom’ in New Video ‘Jupiter 4’

Sharon Van Etten has returned from a long hiatus with her new album Remind Me Tomorrow (out January 18th), where she evolves her sound from guitar confessionals to haunting synths, keyboards and drones. That new direction is clear in the video for her new song “Jupiter 4.” Van Etten ominously sings about finding love over instruments including a theramin: “Baby, baby, baby / I’ve been waiting, waiting waiting / my whole life for someone like you / It’s true that everyone would like to have met / A love so real.”

The video was directed by Katherine Dieckmann, who has directed videos including R.E.M.’s “Shiny Happy People,” the classic children’s show The Adventures of Pete & Pete and several films. Dieckmann directed the 2016 film Strange Weather, which Van Etten scored. According to Van Etten, the two formed a bond working on that film.

“She has not only been a guiding force in my work, but a light and guiding force in my life as well, sharing with me stories of how she and her husband made it work with two kids as artists living in New York and encouraging me to return to my music after my son was born,” Van Etten said in a statement. “I asked if she would ever want to make a music video for me. She asked what the mood would feel like and I simply said ‘apocalyptic mom.’ And with that – she said ‘Absolutely.’  That’s why I love her so much.”

Dieckmann said she set out to capture the song’s dreamlike ambiance. “The trick was to figure out how to match the power of the song with visuals that could serve its ideas without spelling any of them out. I decided right away to work in an inky black-and-white palette and use raw elements (water, fire, earth, mist, dirt, summertime’s lush meadows and blooms) as a natural support for Sharon, and shoot her as a strong sculptural presence in space, to accompany the deeply immersive quality of the track. Sharon melded herself effortlessly to every natural location, and delivered a sync performance that was so passionate and vulnerable that it struck silent everyone who was lucky enough to see it happen.”

Sharon Van Etten Tour Dates

Feb. 6 – Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club
Feb. 7 – Philadelphia, PA @ Union Transfer
Feb. 8 – Boston, MA @ Royale
Feb. 9 – New York, NY @ Beacon Theatre
Feb. 11 – Toronto, ON @ Danforth Music Hall
Feb. 13 – Detroit, MI @ Majestic Theatre
Feb. 14 – Chicago, IL @ Thalia Hall
Feb. 15 – Chicago, IL @ Thalia Hall
Feb. 16 – Minneapolis, MN @ First Avenue
Feb. 18 – Englewood, CO @ Gothic Theatre
Feb 19 – Salt Lake City, UT – Metro Music Hall
Feb 21 – Portland, OR – Crystal Ballroom
Feb 22 – Vancouver, BC – Imperial
Feb 23 – Seattle, WA – Neptune Theatre
Feb. 26 – San Francisco, CA @ The Fillmore
Feb 28 – San Diego, CA – The Observatory North Park
March 1 – Los Angeles, CA – The Theatre at Ace Hotel
March 21 – Birmingham, UK @ The Mill
March 22 – Manchester, UK @ Albert Hall
March 23 – Dublin, IE @ Vicar Street
March 24 – Glasgow, UK @ St. Luke’s
March 26 – London, UK @ Roundhouse
March 27 – Bristol, UK @ SWX
March 29 – Amsterdam, NL @ Paradiso
March 30 – Brussels, BE @ Orangerie (at Botanique)
April 1 – Paris, FR @ La Maroquinerie
April 2 – Koln, DE @ Luxor
April 3 – Munich, DE @ Strom
April 5 – Berlin, DE @ Lido
April 6 – Hamburg, DE @ Grünspan
April 7 – Copenhagen, DK @ Studio 2 (DR Concert House)
April 9 – Gothenburg, SE @ Pustervik
April 10 – Oslo, NO @ Parkteatret
April 11 – Stockholm, SE @ Kagelbanen