A native of Weatherford, Texas, Van Darien grew up with both the ethereal beauty and seemingly inescapable isolation that are the age-old duality of rural country living. Since first cutting her teeth in the Texas music scene as a teenager, Darien’s influences have been plucked from an array of genres, from country-folk icons such as Townes Van Zandt and Guy Clark to edgy rock and indie acts such as The War on Drugs and Metric.
Produced by Steven Cooper and JD Tiner at East Nashville’s Glass Onion Recording, Darien’s new album, Levee, mixes earnest folk songwriting with experimental pop elements to create a dreamy, engaging sound that’s all her own. Darien’s full-length debut features contributions from Brandy Zdan, Owen Beverly (Indianola), Thayer Serrano (Cracker, Patterson Hood, Nicole Atkins), Mando Saenz, Joey Green, and Maren Morris, with Morris co-writing the tracks “Low Road” and “Twisted Metal.”