Courtney Barnett

Singer/songwriter Courtney Barnett burst onto the scene in her native Australia in 2012 with an idiosyncratic style combining energetic acoustic guitar strumming with wordy, often extremely funny lyrics delivered in a casual talk-singing style with a broad Aussie accent. Born in Sydney in 1988, she played guitar in several bands (most visibly Immigrant Union, an alt-folk outfit led by Brent DeBoer, formerly of American alternative rockers the Dandy Warhols) before deciding to step out on her own. The Australian music scene responded favorably to her debut EP, I've Got A Friend Called Emily Ferris (2012), which she released through her own label, Milk! Records. Her witty lyrics, which touched on both goofy and sensitive topics, found an immediate set of fans, as did her deadpan style of singing. Her 2013 single "Avant Gardener," from her second EP How To Carve A Carrot Into A Rose, attracted international attention. The quirky song, a true-to-life account of going into anaphylactic shock while doing yard work during an Australian heatwave, was chosen by Pitchfork as one of the 50 best singles of 2013. American label Mom and Pop Records bundled Barnett's first two releases into The Double EP: A Sea of Split Peas, a vinyl and download-only LP that was released in May 2014. Barnett accompanied her first North American release with an extensive tour and appearances on several American talk shows playing "Avant Gardener" and its follow-up single "History Eraser." Barnett's first proper album, Sometimes I Sit and Think, Sometimes I Just Sit was released to worldwide critical acclaim in 2016. Suffering from post-debut writer's block, Barnett began writing and recording with her new friend Kurt Vile at spare moments when they were touring in the same towns. A collaborative album, Lotta Sea Lice, was released in 2017 and followed by a joint tour with Barnett's wife Jen Cloher opening. Barnett returned to her solo career with 2018's Tell Me How You Really Feel, which found the singer-songwriter abandoning the talking-blues vocal style of her early singles.