Fun Fun Fun Fest Preview: Sharon Van Etten

Sharon Van Etten

Fri., 3:25pm, Orange stage

Touring takes the songs right out of a songwriter.

"I feel like I've been in a bubble for the past year," says Brooklyn folk darling Sharon Van Etten, who did not foresee herself ever spending 10 out of 12 months on the road. "It's been fun, but it's not a real life. I'm not experiencing things like I would be if I were home with my friends and family."

Like so many artists, the 31-year-old needs a blank canvas and infinite time to bring ideas to fruition, and the popularity of 2010's Epic and February's Tramp has made the process more difficult. She looks forward to a spring spent in her new practice space with folks like the National's Aaron Dessner, who helped produce the weighty Tramp. In the meantime, Van Etten hits Europe next month and rings in the New Year in Australia.

"It's kind of like time traveling," she says. "My band is my family when I'm touring. We take care of each other, and we're friends, and we experience all these things together. Then you come back, and it feels like you time traveled.

"The rest of the world moves on without you.

"I haven't had time to step outside myself in months. Once I have time to do that, I'll be able to add some substance to the songs."