Whether you view it as a dream come true or an exercise in pure emotional masochism or both, there鈥檚 no denying that the Wild Hearts tour is one of this summer鈥檚 hottest concert draws.
A formidable triple-bill composed of three of America鈥檚 most accomplished and ruinously honest singer/songwriters 鈥 New Jersey-reared Sharon Van Etten, Midwestern sorta-country siren Angel Olsen and Tennessee tear-jerker Julien Baker 鈥 the 23-date Wild Hearts road show crosses the border for a pair of rare indoor dates at Friday and Saturday on its way from Vienna, Virginia, in late July to two triumphant closing performances in New York鈥檚 Central Park on Aug. 20 and 21.
If past experience with all three co-headliners holds, there won鈥檛 be a dry eye in the house by the time this thing shuts down. Van Etten, Olsen and Baker collectively represent the vanguard of a current charge into the mainstream by such post-P.J. Harvey/Cat Power indie-rock 鈥渟ad girls鈥 as Mitski, Lucy Dacus and Phoebe Bridgers 鈥 the latter two with whom Baker joined forces as the 鈥渟upergroup鈥 Boygenius while embarking on a similar, femme-forward touring bill in 2018 鈥 and their combined, cross-country sellout power with Wild Hearts serves as proof positive that there鈥檚 more than enough marketable room between Harry Styles mania and Rage Against the Machine reunion gigs for thoughtful female voices and queer-positive spaces on the concert calendar. Yes, you鈥檙e allowed a good night out and a good cry, too, outside of, like, a National show.
The Star managed to snag the busy Van Etten and Olsen, whose respective new records 鈥淲e鈥檝e Been Going About This All Wrong鈥 and 鈥淏ig Time鈥 rank among the year鈥檚 best, for a brief email double-Q&A in advance of this weekend鈥檚 Massey Hall dates. Baker begged off, but trust this writer when he says you should show up early for her sets for Full Sad Girl Immersion. You won鈥檛 leave unchanged.
Q: Tell me, please, when and how this musical superhero(ine) alliance was forged and from whence the idea to hit the road together as Wild Hearts finally sprang. Someone had to bring it up first, after all 鈥
Olsen: It鈥檚 hard to say who exactly came up with the idea. I think Sharon and I were talking about making time for writing and we both had records coming out and we just wanted to go back into touring in a positive way, with people who also would bring fans out, share the stage and make the whole experience more fun and worth it for our audiences, and ourselves.
Van Etten: Well, after Angel and I collaborated together on a couple of songs during the pandemic 鈥 and 鈥 we continued to check in with each other and talk about the new music we were working on and what that was going to look like. My partner is also my manager and we talked a lot about, if and when I toured again, what my ideal situation would be. He and Christian (Stavros), Angel鈥檚 manager, also built a friendship from Angel鈥檚 and my connection and one thing led to another. I knew Angel鈥檚 record was being made around the time I was making mine. Our managers, just as much as Angel and I, thought that instead of competing in similar markets why don’t we join forces and also open up the road to other bands that are trying to do the same thing? Showing the love for each other while also showing respect to other artists trying to tour around the same time. 鈥淪hare the Road 鈥︹
Q: Now that you鈥檙e a couple of weeks into the tour, how would you sum up the general vibe? Feel free to use one word. But also feel free to elaborate using more than one word.
Olsen: 鈥淲et Hot American Summer.鈥
Van Etten: Camp. Definitely summer-camp vibes on this tour. Backstage is like a camp or a dorm, depending on the space. In Berkeley there was a room full of criers watching 鈥淪teel Magnolias鈥 for the first time. In Seattle, bandmates from all the bands were riding past on bikes that were loaned to us by the promoter. Julien and I went for a run that day. And in Boise, we all went roller skating at Treasure Valley Rink. It鈥檚 a trust fall when you put a group of people together. And right now we are at over 40 people and we all just get along so well and are checking in on each other and genuinely love hanging out. It鈥檚 the best tour I鈥檝e ever been on.
Q: Say something nice about each of your tourmates.
Van Etten: Julien Baker鈥檚 ability to be able to come out of a pin-drop quiet line from a song like and her and Mariah Schneider鈥檚 guitars slowly intermingle and build into the drums and bass like a Bedhead song into a totally epic ending. It seems effortless. Angel Olsen鈥檚 overall command of a room and prowess in candour is at once comforting and jarring. Her love songs and process of grief have always been inspiring to me, but specifically on her song I tear up every time 鈥 alongside everyone side stage swooning. 鈥淚 was lookin鈥 at old you, lookin鈥 at who you鈥檝e become.鈥 The atmosphere set by the band, the sentiment and cadence in her voice coupled with the weight of mortality in such a beautiful space gets me every time.
Q: I know the whole 鈥渟ad girl鈥 thing gets a bit overplayed, but I haven鈥檛 been able to get through anything any of you Wild Hearts-ers have done since 鈥淪prained Ankle鈥 or 鈥淭ramp鈥 or the back half of 鈥淢y Woman鈥 without bursting into tears at some point 鈥 and I鈥檓 a freakin鈥 middle-aged dad 鈥 and I know I鈥檓 not alone. You must be aware of the emotional effect your music has on your fans, so is it gratifying to see so many people coming together every night because they connect with such raw, open and human songwriting? It鈥檚 kind of the opposite of the traditional, pyro-laden 鈥渂ig rock show.鈥 And just out of curiosity, do any of your tourmates鈥 songs ever make you cry?
Olsen: I definitely cried the first time I heard the song by Sharon Van Etten. This tour is definitely a cry fest for the fans and a laugh fest for the bands.
Van Etten: I think we are all very good at talking about our emotions. Writing songs is a way of processing them that maybe men don鈥檛 do naturally? But these are grand statements on both sides. I think we find touching points and then dig in, in order to get right to the core of the issue. People who listen to our music are in touch with their feelings and emotions and, from the fans that I talk to, some of them don鈥檛 always know how to express themselves in words and our songs help them do that. It means the world to look out into an audience that is deeply connecting to each artist in a different way. Lots of feelings in all directions at these shows: pain, grief, loss, anger, tears, laughter and peace. 鈥淒ream Thing鈥 is definitely one of many songs I have teared up openly to.
Q: Is there the possibility of some future collaboration on the recording front 脿 la 鈥淟ike I Used To鈥 or the oft-invoked Boygenius emerging from this tour?
Olsen: It鈥檚 very possible, but I like to naturally get to know artists and work with them as things feel human and organic and creative. There鈥檚 nothing more annoying and calculated than other people trying to get me to make something for them in the way they want to see it. I鈥檇 rather just hang with my friends and if it happens and it鈥檚 real it will come to be.
Van Etten: I would love to sit in a room and write songs with Angel. I know she has a lot of touring coming up but if we can figure out a window we are going to make it happen. I don鈥檛 have an agenda other than we had such a good time working together and I love singing with her so we will see what happens. It won’t be like Boygenius, I can tell you that much.
To join the conversation set a first and last name in your user profile.
Sign in or register for free to join the Conversation