Cambridge News | cambridge-news.co.uk | May 8, 2014 | 21
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New music
Courtney Barnett S
HE only recently quit her job in a bar to go on tour, but Australian singer-songwriter Courtney Barnett is nothing if not laid back. Since her debut release, The Double EP: A Sea of Split Peas, the Melbourne art school dropout has made waves with her own label, Milk! Records, and garnered equally laid back fans, addicted to her “hazy tales of suburban banalities and mindless procrastination”. Her autobiographical lyrics touch on everything from anaphylactic panic-attacks (“The paramedic thinks I’m clever cos I play guitar/I think she’s clever cos she stops people dying”), to parents checking up on you (“Are you eating? You sound so thin”), and aimless meanderings (“I found an Ezra Pound and made a bet that if I found a cigarette I’d drop it all and marry you”). She’s what you call a rising star with words that ratchet right up into confused and despondent 20-something brains. ELLA WALKER caught up with the quirky songstress: So you’re at Coachella Festival in California at the moment – how is that? Really hot. There was a crazy wind storm the other night; we nearly lost the car door. Who have you seen perform? I just wandered around soaking it all in, I missed most of the bands I really wanted to see. I’m bummed I missed Neko Case. Is it as crazy as it looks from the outside? There’s a lot going on if that’s what you mean. It’s a good place for people watching.
ᔡ Green Mind presents Courtney Barnett, The Portland Arms, Cambridge, Monday, May 12 at 7.30pm. SOLD OUT.
Are you looking forward to coming to the UK on tour? Have you visited before? I did some solo shows last October. Then we did some band shows earlier this year. This’ll be the biggest run we’ve done so far; we’re super super excited to explore more. Practically all your UK dates have sold out. Has it been a surprise how popular you are here? Everything’s a surprise. Why do think your first single, Avant Gardener, struck a chord with people? Not sure; I think people connected with some of the things I was talking about. Life, work, anxiety, rentals, nature, boredom, life . . . It’s got quite a spoken word quality to it – like poetry for the lost 20-something. Is that a feeling you set out to achieve? It’s just how it naturally falls out of my mouth. Do you ever worry about oversharing in your lyrics? Or is it all about honesty for you? I try not to think about it too much. It’s just my way of processing my feelings, so if I’m not honest about it then I may as well just keep it bottled up and continue lying to myself about things. Is there stuff you wouldn’t want to share? Where’s the line? I wouldn’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings out of momentary anger.
at The Portland Arms in Cambridge next week:
Scott Matthews The Ivor Novello award-winning singer-songwriter of Elusive (it , was all the rage in 2006), is back and is as beautiful and soulful as ever. n Tuesday, May 13, at 8pm. Tickets £13. Wolf Alice The ethereal north London four-piece, pictured, are festival favourites, making alt-rock that leaves you shivering. n Wednesday, May 14, at 8pm. Tickets £8.
Who inspires you? Who are you listening to at the moment? At the moment: Lou Reed, Talking Heads, Television, Bowie, You Am I.
Your videos look pretty fun to
‘If I’m not honest about it then I may as well just keep it bottled up and continue lying to myself about things’ Also performing
film. Do you enjoy that side of things? Yeah it’s super fun making videos! We’re pretty hands on with the ideas and action, so it keeps it fresh and fun. It’s so satisfying seeing the end product after seeing how long the process is.
Have you got a favourite track to play live? I love playing Out Of The Woodwork live. It’s got heaps of power behind it so it’s pretty exhilarating to perform.
RISING STAR: Courtney Barnett is coming to Cambridge via California