Courtney Barnett facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Courtney Barnett
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Barnett performing in February 2019
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| Birth name | Courtney Melba Barnett |
| Born | 3 November 1987 Sydney, Australia |
| Origin | Melbourne, Australia |
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| Years active | 2009–present |
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Courtney Melba Barnett (born 3 November 1987) is an Australian singer, songwriter, and musician. She is known for her unique singing style and clever, detailed song lyrics. Courtney first gained attention with her debut EP (a short album) called I've Got a Friend Called Emily Ferris in 2012. People around the world started noticing her after her EP The Double EP: A Sea of Split Peas was released in 2013.
Courtney Barnett's first full album, Sometimes I Sit and Think, and Sometimes I Just Sit, came out in 2015. It received great reviews from critics. At the ARIA Music Awards of 2015 in Australia, she won four awards. She was also nominated for Best New Artist at the 58th Annual Grammy Awards and International Female Solo Artist at the 2016 Brit Awards. In 2017, she released Lotta Sea Lice, an album made with musician Kurt Vile. Her second album, Tell Me How You Really Feel, was released in 2018 and also received praise. Courtney's third album, Things Take Time, Take Time, came out in November 2021.
Contents
Early Life and Musical Beginnings
Courtney Melba Barnett was born in Sydney, Australia, on 3 November 1987. Her middle name, Melba, was inspired by the famous opera singer Nellie Melba. She grew up in the Northern Beaches area of Sydney. Her mother was a ballerina. When Courtney was 16, her family moved to Hobart. She studied at St Michael's Collegiate School and the Tasmanian School of Art.
Courtney listened to many American bands as a child. Later, she discovered Australian singer-songwriters like Darren Hanlon and Dan Kelly. They inspired her to start writing her own songs. While working to become a musician, she also delivered pizzas.
Music Career Highlights
From 2010 to 2011, Courtney Barnett 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. This band later became just the Olivettes. They released a live demo CD.
Between 2011 and 2013, Courtney was part of an Australian band called Immigrant Union. She sang and played slide guitar on their second album, Anyway. The drummer from Immigrant Union also played on Courtney's first EP, I've Got a Friend called Emily Ferris. This EP was released in 2012 on Courtney's 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 one, How to Carve a Carrot Into a Rose.
The Double EP helped Courtney gain international recognition. The song "Avant Gardener" was named "Track of the Day" by Q Magazine and "Best New Track" by Pitchfork. Another song, "History Eraser," was nominated for an APRA Song of the Year award.
On 30 January 2015, Courtney shared details about her first full-length album. She also released two songs from it, "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 tours in the UK, Europe, America, and Australia.
The album Sometimes I Sit and Think received excellent reviews from many music critics. Before this album came out, Courtney Barnett, Bones Sloane, and Dave Mudie toured as "Courtney Barnett and the Courtney Barnetts."
In August 2015, Courtney's UK label launched a 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 major cities. This led to a surprise street performance in London.
In concerts, Dan Luscombe often played lead guitar and keyboards for Courtney. He also played on her EPs and co-produced her first album. When Dan was not available, the band performed as a trio, with Courtney playing 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. In 2016, she was nominated for Best International Female at the Brit Awards. She also performed as the musical guest on Saturday Night Live in May 2016 and The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon in May 2016.
In 2017, Courtney Barnett and Kurt Vile released a collaborative album called Lotta Sea Lice. The first song from the album, "Over Everything," was released in August 2017 with a music video. This song was the start of their collaboration. Kurt Vile wrote it with Courtney's voice in mind.
On 12 February 2018, Courtney hinted at a new album on social media. She released songs like "Nameless, Faceless" and "Need A Little Time" from her second solo album. The album, Tell Me How You Really Feel, was released on 18 May 2018. This album explored her thoughts on feeling isolated in the age of social media. The song "City Looks Pretty" was featured in the video game FIFA 19.
On 7 July 2021, Courtney released "Rae Street," the first song from her third album, Things Take Time, Take Time. This album was released on 12 November 2021.
In July 2022, Courtney Barnett 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 final album released on the label was End of the Day in September 2023. This album features 17 instrumental songs written for the 2021 documentary Anonymous Club.
Courtney Barnett in Film
In December 2020, it was announced that a documentary called Anonymous Club was being made about Courtney Barnett. The film explores her life as she became famous, even though she is a shy person. Anonymous Club was directed by Danny Cohen, who had worked with Courtney on her music videos before. The film premiered at the Melbourne International Film Festival in August 2021. It was later shown in cinemas and on TV.
Equipment and Playing Style
Courtney Barnett plays guitar left-handed. She mostly uses left-handed guitars with standard tuning. Sometimes, she plays right-handed guitars flipped upside down, but she prefers left-handed ones. She learned to play on acoustic guitars and developed her own finger-picking style. She uses her thumb and index finger for strumming and her index finger for lead parts. She usually plays in standard tuning but has used open G tuning for slide guitar.
Courtney uses guitars like the Harmony H59 and various 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.
Personal Life
Courtney Barnett was in a relationship with fellow musician Jen Cloher from 2012 to 2018. They co-wrote the song "Numbers" about their relationship. Courtney's song "Pickles from the Jar" also talks about their relationship. Courtney has said that Jen Cloher was a "huge constant influence" on her music. Courtney also played guitar in Jen Cloher's band for several years.
Backing Band Members
Current Members
- Bones Sloane – bass guitar, backing vocals (since 2013)
- Dave Mudie – drums, percussion, backing vocals (since 2013)
Former Members
- Alex Hamilton – guitar, backing vocals (2012–2013)
- Pete Convery – bass guitar (2012–2013)
- Dan Luscombe – guitar, keyboard, backing vocals (2013–2014; also a session/touring member in 2017)
Session/Touring Members
- Katie Harkin – guitar, keyboard, backing vocals (2018)
- Lucy Waldron – cello, backing vocals (since 2019)
- Stella Mozgawa – drums, percussion, 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)
Awards and Nominations
Courtney Barnett has won many awards for her music. Here are some of her notable achievements:
AIR Awards
The Australian Independent Record Awards (AIR Awards) celebrate independent music in Australia.
- 2014: Won Best Independent Artist and Best Independent Single/EP for "Avant Gardener".
- 2015: Won Best Independent Artist, Best Independent Album for Sometimes I Sit and Think, and Sometimes I Just Sit, and Best Independent Single/EP for "Depreston".
- 2019: Won Best Independent Artist and Best Independent Album or EP for Tell Me How You Really Feel.
- 2022: Won Best Independent Rock Album or EP for Things Take Time, Take Time.
APRA Music Awards
The APRA Awards honor Australian composers and songwriters.
- 2016: Won Songwriter of the Year.
ARIA Music Awards
The ARIA Music Awards recognize excellence in Australian music. Courtney Barnett has won 6 ARIA Music Awards.
- 2015: Won Best Cover Art, Best Independent Release, Best Female Artist, and Breakthrough Artist for Sometimes I Sit and Think, and Sometimes I Just Sit.
- 2018: Won Best Rock Album for Tell Me How You Really Feel and Engineer of the Year for the album.
Australian Music Prize
The Australian Music Prize (the AMP) is an annual award for an Australian album.
- 2015: Won the Australian Music Prize for Sometimes I Sit and Think, and Sometimes I Just Sit.
Brit Awards
- 2016: Nominated for International Female Solo Artist.
Grammy Awards
- 2016: Nominated for Best New Artist.
J Awards
The J Awards are Australian music awards from Triple J radio station.
- 2015: Won Australian Album of the Year for Sometimes I Sit and Think, and Sometimes I Just Sit.
Libera Awards
The Libera Awards celebrate independent music in the US.
- 2016: Won Best Breakthrough Artist.
- 2019: Won Best Rock Album for Tell Me How You Really Feel.
Music Victoria Awards
The Music Victoria Awards celebrate music from Victoria, Australia.
- 2014: Won Best Female Artist and Best Song for "Avant Gardener".
- 2015: Won Best Female Artist, Best Band, Best Song for "Depreston", and Best Album for Sometimes I Sit and Think and Sometimes I Just Sit.
- 2018: Won Best Female Musician, Best Solo Artist, and Best Album for Tell Me How You Really Feel.
- 2019: Won Best Solo Artist.
National Live Music Awards
The National Live Music Awards recognize Australia's live music industry.
- 2016: Won International Live Achievement (Solo).
- 2018: Won International Live Achievement (Solo).
See also
In Spanish: Courtney Barnett para niños
- List of musicians who play left-handed
