VMP Interview with Courtney Barnett

picture via Lollapalooza

Last month we got a chance to catch up with March VMP artist, Courtney Barnett, the lo-fi Australian songstress with some of the best songwriting we’ve heard in a while.  Summary of the interview: she’s really cool and we love her….seriously.

VMP: What was a typical Saturday morning like for you growing up?

CB: Ballet class! I was such a tom boy though, I gave it up after a while and started doing competition tennis instead. I won some trophies. Then I changed to Saturday morning soccer club!

VMP: I read that early on you were a Nirvana fan, what was the album/song of theirs that did it for you?

CB: My brother told me to ask for Nevermind for my 8th (?) birthday. I have listened that to CD more times than I’ve brushed my teeth.

VMP: You did a Kanye cover with your band on a radio show – if you decided to ditch the guitar and take up rapping, what would your rapper name be?  Title of first rap album?

CB: Ha. Um “CBGB Christmas Rapping Paper” (it would be a christmas album)

VMP: We’re a vinyl club, so we have to ask – are you a vinyl collector/fan?  If so, what the first album you remember buying on vinyl? Most recent?

CB: Vinyl is the only thing I buy. I only got a player a couple of years ago. I stole a huge bunch of my dads records to start off with. Got this cool Dave Brubeck Live at Carnegie Hall. Last one I bought was The National Boxer. My friend Dave (my drummer) got me a rad Divinyls record recently. And him and Bones (my bassist) also just got me a special Nirvana Australian tour vinyl in Paris the other day. Plus a version of Peter and the Wolf narrated by David Bowie.

VMP: David Smyth of the Guardian called you a “lo-fi Lena Dunham” – do you watch Girls? What tv shows have you been unwinding to lately?

CB: I like Girls yep!  I’ve just watched the entire season of The Dome on the plane. It’s pretty addictive. I don’t watch much TV, but I’ve recently enjoyed House of Cards, Borgen, The Killing…and re-watchedBlack Books.

VMP: You have a 3-day music festival to curate called “Courtlandia” – which artists, dead or alive, do you have play?

CB: The Beatles, Television, Talking Heads, Nirvana, Jimi, Neil Young, Wilco, The Drones, Stephen Malkmus, Prince, PJ Harvey, Magic Dirt, Aretha Franklin, Grateful Dead, Michael Jackson, INXS, Beastie Boys, James Brown, Patti Smith Band, Rachmaninov, The Divinyls, Elton John, The Band, Odetta, Dylan, and the whole festival would be closed by Queen.

VMP: You’ve obviously been rising in popularity quite rapidly in recent months – what’s been your favorite fan girl moment, i.e. met a famous artist at a show or festival, someone you got nervous talking to. Most awkward?

CB: Haha we did a show with Noel Gallagher once and we were nervous to meet him backstage, but then I didn’t even get to meet him. I try to remember that super famous people are actually just normal people who happen to be super famous.

VMP: What does your family think of your music?

CB: They’re very cute and supportive and proud. I dunno if they like the actual music, but they say they do. I think Dad likes the bluesier songs.

VMP: Are you working on your debut album?

CB: I’m always working on something. have been writing heaps and we’re ecording an album in april. we recorded one song already and gonna release it on a special 7″ for record store day. VMP: Which albums should we consider for our next Vinyl Me, Please album of the month? CB: Big Scary Not Art. It’s the best .