The dynamic indie-rock duo of Sharon Van Etten and Angel Olsen delivered the live debut of their acclaimed collaborative track “Like I Used To” on Tuesday night’s episode of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, performing remotely from Zebulon in Los Angeles.
Paste ranked “Like I Used To” among May’s best songs, and it wasn’t a particularly difficult call. Van Etten and Olsen live up to their song’s widespread acclaim in their Fallon performance, bringing their creative chemistry to the small screen with the serene grace of two veteran singer/songwriters.
Speaking to Loud and Quiet about how their collab came together, Van Etten recalled, “I hadn’t finished the song when I shared it with Angel. I think what I was most looking forward to was how she could make it feel like a duet and a collaboration, with two different narratives rather than just my own. I haven’t really done that before with my own writing.”
“I’ve found being a part of this song has been a really nice way to let go of taking everything so seriously all the time. I mean, I love being serious and I’m going to continue to make serious work, obviously. Kinda at this point I don’t know what else I do,” Olsen told the outlet. “But I love and I miss having a good time and letting go completely. This has really been a lesson in how to be light-hearted about something again.”
The duo emphatically approve of the possibility of a joint tour at the end of their Loud and Quiet interview, so keep your fingers crossed for that, folks.
Watch the duo’s Fallon performance below and revisit Van Etten’s 2010 Daytrotter session further down.
