Courtney Barnett facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Courtney Barnett
Barnett performing in February 2019
Background information
Birth name	Courtney Melba Barnett
Born	(1987-11-03) 3 November 1987 (age 37) Sydney, Australia
Origin	Melbourne, Australia
Genres	Indie rock alternative rock dolewave slacker rock
Occupation(s)	Singer songwriter musician
Instruments	Vocals guitar piano
Years active	2009–present
Labels	Matador Records Milk! Records Marathon Artists Mom + Pop House Anxiety
Associated acts	Jen Cloher Immigrant Union Kurt Vile

Courtney Melba Barnett (born 3 November 1987) is an Australian singer, songwriter, and musician. She is known for her calm singing style and clever, detailed lyrics. She first gained attention with her EP (which is like a mini-album) called I've Got a Friend Called Emily Ferris in 2012. People around the world started noticing her when she released The Double EP: A Sea of Split Peas in 2013.

Courtney Barnett's first full album, Sometimes I Sit and Think, and Sometimes I Just Sit, came out in 2015. It was highly praised by many. At the 2015 ARIA Music Awards, she won four awards. She was also nominated for Best New Artist at the 58th Annual Grammy Awards. In 2017, she released Lotta Sea Lice, an album she made with musician Kurt Vile. Her second solo album, Tell Me How You Really Feel, was released in 2018 and also received great reviews. Her third album, Things Take Time, Take Time, came out in November 2021.

Early Life and Music Beginnings

Courtney Melba Barnett was born in Sydney, Australia, on 3 November 1987. Her middle name, Melba, was inspired by a famous opera singer named Nellie Melba. She grew up in the Northern Beaches area of Sydney. When she was 16, her family moved to Hobart. She studied at St Michael's Collegiate School and the Tasmanian School of Art.

Growing up, she listened to many American bands. Later, she discovered Australian singer-songwriters like Darren Hanlon and Dan Kelly. Their music inspired her to start writing her own songs. While working to become a musician, she also delivered pizzas.

Music Career Highlights

Barnett performing in March 2015

From 2010 to 2011, Courtney played guitar in a Melbourne band called Rapid Transit. They released one album on cassette. She also recorded early versions of her songs with a band called Courtney Barnett and the Olivettes.

Between 2011 and 2013, Courtney was part of an Australian band called Immigrant Union. She sang and mostly played slide guitar on their second album, Anyway. The drummer from Immigrant Union, Brent DeBoer, also played drums on Courtney's first EP. This EP, I've Got a Friend called Emily Ferris, was released in 2012 on her own record label, Milk! Records.

In 2013, Courtney played lead guitar on Jen Cloher's album, In Blood Memory. This album was also released on Milk! Records. After her first EP, Courtney signed with Marathon Artists. In August 2013, Marathon Artists released The Double EP: A Sea of Split Peas. This combined her first EP with her second EP, How to Carve a Carrot Into a Rose.

The Double EP made Courtney famous around the world. Her song "Avant Gardener" was named "Track of the Day" by Q Magazine. It was also called "Best New Track" by Pitchfork in 2013. Another song, "History Eraser", was nominated for the APRA Song of the Year.

Barnett performing in March 2016

On 30 January 2015, Courtney shared details about her first full-length album. It was recorded in April 2014 with producer Burke Reid. She also released two songs from the album, "Pedestrian at Best" and "Depreston", with music videos. Her debut album, Sometimes I Sit and Think, and Sometimes I Just Sit, was released worldwide on 23 March 2015. She then went on tour in the UK, Europe, America, and Australia.

The album Sometimes I Sit and Think was highly praised by critics. Before this album came out, Courtney, Bones Sloane, and Dave Mudie toured as "Courtney Barnett and the Courtney Barnetts".

In August 2015, Courtney's UK label, Marathon Artists, launched a special campaign for her song "Nobody Really Cares If You Don't Go to the Party". Billboards and posters with the song's title appeared in cities like London and New York. This created a lot of excitement online. The campaign ended with a surprise street performance in London.

Barnett performing in April 2016

In her live shows, Dan Luscombe often played lead guitar and keyboards. He also played on her albums How to Carve a Carrot Into a Rose and Sometimes I Sit and Think, and Sometimes I Just Sit. When Dan was not available, the band played as a trio, with Courtney on guitar. Courtney now calls her band the "CB3" on her social media.

Courtney Barnett was nominated for eight awards at the ARIA Music Awards of 2015. She won four of them: Breakthrough Artist, Best Female Artist, Best Independent Release, and Best Cover Art for her album. At the end of 2015, she was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best New Artist. She was also nominated for Best International Female at the 2016 Brit Awards in 2016.

On 21 May 2016, she was the musical guest on the TV show Saturday Night Live. She also appeared on the cover of Happy Mag, an Australian music magazine, in January 2016. On 27 May 2016, she was a musical guest on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.

Barnett performing in June 2019

In 2017, Courtney Barnett and Kurt Vile recorded an album together called Lotta Sea Lice. It was released on October 13. Other musicians who helped on the album included Stella Mozgawa and Mick Harvey. The first song from the album, "Over Everything", came out on August 30, 2017. Kurt Vile wrote this song with Courtney's voice in mind, which led to their collaboration.

On 12 February 2018, Courtney hinted at a new album on her social media. She released songs like "Nameless, Faceless" and "Need A Little Time" from her second solo album. This album, Tell Me How You Really Feel, was released on 18 May 2018. The album talked about her feelings on being isolated in the age of social media. The song "City Looks Pretty" was even featured in the video game FIFA 19.

On 7 July 2021, Courtney released "Rae Street". This was the first song from her third album, Things Take Time, Take Time, which came out on 12 November 2021. On 3 July 2022, she opened for the Rolling Stones at their concert in Hyde Park in London.

In July 2023, Courtney confirmed that her record label, Milk! Records, would close at the end of 2023 after 12 years. The last album released on the label was End of the Day on 8 September 2023. This album has 17 instrumental songs written for the 2021 documentary Anonymous Club.

Courtney Barnett in Film

In December 2020, a documentary called Anonymous Club was announced. This film explores Courtney Barnett's life as she became famous, especially since she is known for being a bit shy. The movie was directed by Danny Cohen, who had worked with Courtney on her music videos before. Anonymous Club first showed at the Melbourne International Film Festival in August 2021. It was later shown in cinemas and on ABC Television.

Equipment and Playing Style

Courtney Barnett plays guitar left-handed. She uses left-handed guitars that are set up for left-handed players. Sometimes, she plays right-handed guitars flipped upside down, but she prefers left-handed ones. She learned to play on acoustic guitars. She developed her own way of playing with her fingers, called fingerstyle guitar, because she didn't like the sound of a pick. She later used this style on electric guitars too. She can use a pick, but she likes playing with her fingers. She usually plays in standard tuning but has used open G tuning for slide guitar.

Courtney uses guitars like a Harmony H59 and several Fenders, including Jaguars, Stratocasters, and Telecasters. She uses Ernie Ball Power Slinky strings. She plays through Fender Hot Rod Deville and Fender Deluxe amplifiers. She also uses effects pedals like an overdrive pedal, a delay pedal, and a chorus pedal.

Backing Band Members

Barnett performing with her band in August 2018. From left to right: Katie Harkin, Barnett, Dave Mudie, and Bones Sloane

Courtney Barnett plays with a talented backing band.

Current Members

• Bones Sloane – plays bass and sings backing vocals (since 2013)
• Dave Mudie – plays drums, percussion, and sings backing vocals (since 2013)

Former Members

• Alex Hamilton – played guitar and sang backing vocals (2012–2013)
• Pete Convery – played bass (2012–2013)
• Dan Luscombe – played guitar, keyboard, and sang backing vocals (2013–2014; also a session/touring member in 2017)

Session/Touring Members

• Katie Harkin – played guitar, keyboard, and sang backing vocals (2018)
• Lucy Waldron – plays cello and sings backing vocals (since 2019)
• Stella Mozgawa – plays drums, percussion, and keyboard (since 2021)

Discography

• Sometimes I Sit and Think, and Sometimes I Just Sit (2015)
• Lotta Sea Lice (2017, with Kurt Vile)
• Tell Me How You Really Feel (2018)
• Things Take Time, Take Time (2021)
• End of the Day (2023)

Awards and Nominations

Courtney Barnett has won many awards for her music. Here are some of her notable achievements:

AIR Awards

The AIR Awards celebrate independent music in Australia.

APRA Music Awards

The APRA Awards honor songwriters and composers in Australia.

ARIA Music Awards

The ARIA Music Awards are Australia's biggest music awards.

Australian Music Prize

The Australian Music Prize (the AMP) gives an award to an Australian artist for the best album of the year.

J Award

The J Awards are given by the Australian radio station Triple J.

Libera Awards

The Libera Awards celebrate independent music in the United States.

Music Victoria Awards

The Music Victoria Awards celebrate music from the state of Victoria, Australia.

National Live Music Awards

The National Live Music Awards celebrate live music in Australia.

See also

• List of musicians who play left-handed