BRIGHT FUTURE FOR COURTNEY
ON the eve of her biggest UK tour to date, Australian singersongwriter Courtney Barnett is telling CityLife about the “mind-expanding and experimental” ways that she likes to relax after a concert.
Of course, Barnet was in no way referring to illegal substances.
The answer, thankfully, is nothing quite so nefarious. Barnett’s biggest addition, it seems, is her love for, erm, reading tarot cards.
“It’s become this big thing on the tour bus,” she chuckles. “After a gig, we’ll open up the pack of tarot cards and have a cup of tea; it’s a great way to unwind!
“I wouldn’t say I’m an expert on tarot cards, but it’s been really interesting to learn about. As an artist, it’s important to keep an open mind and experiment.
“Have the tarot cards revealed any big things about my future? A few things. But I don’t like to look too far into the future. You can’t put too much faith in predictions.”
She’s got a point. Despite her new-found love for tarot cards, Barnett has clearly never been a woman for making big, bold predictions – especially when it comes to her own career.
Indeed, when she first emerged in 2012, the Melbourne-based songstress seemed the very antithesis of the fame-hungry, careerist rock star.
An artist who blends a wry, quirky lyricism with a scruffy, lo-fi take on American slacker-rock, Barnett’s modus operandi was firmly rooted in low-key understatement. Nothing about Barnett, it seemed, screamed global music sensation.
But that’s precisely what happened – much to Barnett’s utter bemusement. Her 2015 debut album, Sometimes I Sit And Think, And Sometimes I Just Sit, was a huge critical success, earning her Brit and Grammy nominations. She was invited to play Glastonbury and Coachella, and her first major TV appearance was on the American chat show Ellen, playing to an estimated four million people. Not bad for a shy singer who releases her music on her own label, operating out of the front room of her small house, and who writes songs about the mundanities of life in the suburbs of Melbourne.
“Fame? I don’t really register it,” she says in typically under-stated fashion. “When I’m going about my day-to-day business at home, back in Melbourne, no one bothers me or anything. No one’s stopping me for selfies in the supermarket. Nothing’s really changed for me.”
Such statements are, of course, only to be expected from a woman who has always treated her artistry as more a form of personal therapy than a career plan. Barnett has spoken openly in the past about her struggles with mental health, and many of her songs deal with the repercussions of dealing with anxiety on a dayto-day basis.
Not that she ever set out to be a spokeswoman for such matters, but Barnett clearly takes pride in how her music has opened up a frank dialogue with her fan-base.
“That’s the most amazing thing,” she enthuses. “I’m humbled to have such lovely fans. I’ll get messages from them, telling me how much my music has helped them through a hard time, how certain songs have helped them cope with stress or anxiety. I don’t take anything for granted. It’s still always a surprise when someone tells me how many records I’ve sold, or that people are buying tickets for my shows.” Courtney Barnett plays the Albert Hall on Monday, June 4.