WUNC Music

WUNC Music is curated locally with songs that inspire, energize and bring joy to listeners across North Carolina. It’s a place for music discovery and a home to old favorites.

Sharon Van Etten On The Real-Life Inspiration Behind Her Role On 'The OA'

By Robin Hilton

Published January 13, 2017 at 10:39 AM EST

Sharon Van Etten in a scene from the Netflix series <em>The OA.</em> — Sharon Van Etten in a scene from the Netflix series *The OA.*

On this week's +1 podcast, singer-songwriter Sharon Van Etten talks about how and why she made the surprising decision to take an acting role on the Netflix series The OA.

In the summer of 2015, after a long tour for her album Are We There, Van Etten was wiped out and needed a break from music. She wanted to spend time on what she called her "real life." So she decided to go back to college to get a degree in psychology and hoped to one day be a therapist. But as soon as she had started classes, she got a phone call that upended her plans. The casting agent for a mysterious new Netflix show had seen her open for Nick Cave and thought she'd be perfect for a part on the show.

Speaking to us from her Brooklyn apartment, Sharon Van Etten talks about the importance of taking big chances in life, the personal experiences that inspired her performance on The OAand how she managed to cry, repeatedly, on command.