A pair of recent SPIN interviewees (and SXSW performers, and excellent guitarists) hit late-night stages last night. Sharon Van Etten played “Leonard,” her most recent single off Tramp and the recipient of her latest, kaleidoscopic video, for Conan‘s audience, while the Shins got a chance to stretch out on the Letterman stage, performing extended set for the show’s “Live on Letterman” online concert series in addition to their one-off performance of Port of Morrow cut “Simple Song” on the televised broadcast. Their hour on the Ed Sullivan Theatre’s notoriously freezing stage included Natalie Portman’s favorite song and “Caring is Creepy” alongside their new album’s title cut and “September.”
Those interviews we mentioned can be found here:
• The SPIN Interview: James Mercer
• My Favorite Things: Sharon Van Etten
Sharon Van Etten on Conan, “Leonard”:

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The Shins on Letterman: