Sharon Van Etten Announces 'Tramp' Anniversary Edition, Shares Shelved "Serpents" Video

The video was originally shot in 2012 by Galaxie 500's Naomi Yang

BY Kaelen BellPublished Feb 7, 2023

Sharon Van Etten has announced an anniversary edition (it's the 11th anniversary rather than the 10th, but who's counting) of her beloved 2012 album Tramp. It's arriving March 24 via Jagjaguwar, and will include a previously unreleased song called "This Is Too Right" and will be available on crimson vinyl.

Alongside the announcement, Van Etten has shared a video for her now-classic Tramp song "Serpents," directed by Naomi Yang of Galaxie 500 and Damon & Naomi. Yang and Van Etten shot the video in 2012, but Van Etten shelved it, citing insecurities about her appearance. 

"At the time, I didn't have much experience with music videos," Van Etten said in a statement. "I was very insecure about being the focus of a video. Maybe I wasn't ready to face my demons. I know it sounds funny. I could write and perform them, but facing them and baring my soul on camera felt like an entirely different thing, and when I looked at myself, I felt uncomfortable. I chose not to release the video." 

Yang also shared a statement describing her creative process with the video:

Upon hearing "Serpents," I was struck by the emotion in the song, the raw anger. I imagined showing this fury escaping and overtaking the room — Sharon's rage as expressed in the song manifesting itself in physical space. We made the video on a cold January day in 2012, in an East Village walk-up loft borrowed from friends. It was me, on camera, with Susanne Sasic running the projections she had designed, and Sharon performing. I am delighted to know that now, on the 11th anniversary of Tramp, the "Serpents" video will be seen at last.

Van Etten's latest album was last year's We've Been Going About This All Wrong. Check out the newly unearthed "Serpents" video below. 

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