Cardiff’s industrial-chic DEPOT provided an intimate yet electric backdrop for Sharon Van Etten’s long-awaited return to Wales. Over a decade since her last performance here, she arrived in celebration of her seventh studio album, Sharon Van Etten & the Attachment Theory. The American singer-songwriter transformed the venue, better known for food festivals and club nights into a temple of sound and intimacy.

The night began with Melbourne’s Angie McMahon, who stepped onto the stage alone, guitar in hand, radiating an understated confidence. Her set was unadorned yet arresting: no theatrics, no backing band, just voice and guitar carrying immense emotional weight. 

Having seen Angie McMahon headline almost exactly a year ago, it was striking to hear her songs stripped back. Tracks like Beginner were laid bare, showcasing her vocal prowess and giving the song a renewed presence through her note-perfect delivery. McMahon’s voice is her sharpest instrument - husky yet soaring, able to fracture silence with both power and restraint. Making It Through and Pasta carried a blend of fragility and steel, her lyrics landing with a forlorn precision. The DEPOT’s acoustics amplified every syllable, filling the space so completely that even the habitual chatter at the back fell away, leaving only the shuffle of feet against the floor.

Her ability to connect with the audience, both through her music and presence is what makes her live shows so unforgettable and tonight was no exception as she certainly earned a few new fans on her exceptional Welsh debut. 

A short wait between sets and the lights finally dimmed as Sharon Van Etten walked out with her new collaborative band, The Attachment Theory. Unlike past tours where she has been the solitary centre of gravity, this show was about interplay, about the strength that comes from building music communally.

They launched into Live Forever, a track pulsing with hypnotic synths and pounding rhythms. Van Etten, flanked by her bandmates, carried herself with a conductor’s authority, channelling both chaos and control. She darted between them, mimicking air drums and guitars, her movements amplifying the surge of energy that filled the room.

Afterlife followed as its pulsing 80s-pop textures wrapped around the DEPOT in shimmering layers. The cavernous walls and high ceiling bounced the sound back at the crowd, creating a dizzying wall of rhythm and light. As dazzling patterns rippled across the room, Van Etten leaned into the theatrical, her voice moving effortlessly from velvet intimacy to powerhouse belts. Taking a pause, she paid homage to Spillers Records and spoke warmly of Cardiff’s welcome, urging the crowd to look after one another.

From there, the mood lifted as fan favourites like Comeback Kid and Every Time the Sun Comes Up arrived in quick succession. These songs bridged Van Etten’s earlier work with her more experimental new direction, the band adding a sharper edge and fresh vitality to familiar material. Then came Seventeen, delivered with gut-punch honesty. The entire crowd joined in on the chorus, their collective voice rising to meet hers in a moment of catharsis.

After the storm of the main set, the encore opened with quiet devastation. Van Etten returned alone for I Wish I Knew, standing under a singular spotlight with only her guitar. Introducing the song, she reminded the audience that she still lives inside these older works and that they never truly left her. The crowd’s silence broken only by the faint clink of bottles at the bar as her vocal control cut through the space with unwavering force.

Finally, she welcomed The Attachment Theory (and Angie McMahon) back on stage for Love More, dedicating the song to Cardiff’s Rescue Hotel, a local dog rescue centre. It was a small but profound gesture that grounded the evening in the city itself. As the voices intertwined, it's clear Van Etten has found a way to expand her sound without sacrificing the intimacy that has always defined her. And live, that connection lands with unforgettable power.