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. Her father ran a machine shop on her family's land, which was scattered with rusted out cars and pieces of scrap metal -- an industrial landscape where she first picked up a guitar, began writing poems, and started to develop her own sound. From there, she forged relationships with other like-minded artists in the Lone Star State and evolved her songwriting processes. She released her first EP Silent Sparrow in 2014, showcasing her earthy vocals and a gritty, organic, and soulful blend of Americana, alt-country, folk, and rock that were grown from the ground up.

In 2015, Van Darien made the trek from her home state to Nashville to help a friend move, not yet knowing that would be where a new chapter of her career would begin. After seeing an inspiring show from Margo Price, Brendan Benson, and several others, she decided to go all-in and permanently relocate to the Music City. That move would become a creative catalyst for her, creating a chain of events and experiences that would culminate in the tracks featured on Levee.