Courtney Barnett is performing at QMF
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Courtney Barnett is performing at QMF

In terms of Australian artists who are killing it within Australia, but getting even more hype overseas, Courtney Barnett is one of the elite.
Being co-owner of Melbourne’s beloved indie folk label Milk Records, Barnett has taken the world by storm with her unique twist on folk. For the better part of the last year she has been touring the world off the bat of her Kurt Vile collaboration album, ‘Lotta Sea Lice,’ and now she is hitting the road again in celebration of her newest solo album, Tell Me How You Really Feel.
Chatting about her huge Australian ‘Tell Me How You Really Feel’ tour, Barnett reveals, “I feel a bit nervous… I haven’t played big Australian shows in a while so I’m excited but I’m nervous.”
Performing shows at iconic venues such as the Sydney Opera House and Festival Hall, this will be Barnett’s biggest Australian headline tour to date.
“These are some of the biggest venues I’ve ever done in Australia. I supported Patti Smith at Festival Hall, which was incredible, but obviously Patti Smith can sell out Festival Hall. I also opened for Billy Bragg at the Sydney Opera House but this tour will be completely different with me as the headliner,” she says.
“We have been touring [the album] around America and Canada and Europe; it’s been really fun. It’s always hard to tell what people think of an album but I guess if they’re turning up to the show, that’s a good sign.”
Courtney recorded the album with Burke Reid, the same producer as her previously release ‘Sometimes I Sit and Think, Sometimes I Just Sit’ in 2015.
“I met Burke through Dan Luscombe; Dan had played guitar in my band a bunch and been on tour with me, he had mixed a couple of my records and I when I was making the first album he recommended Burke Reid as he had previously worked with him with the Drones. I think Burke’s great; it’s a good match… We have done two albums together, but who knows in future.”
Courtney will be finishing up her year with a set at the revered Queenscliff Music Festival. Whilst it won’t be her first time playing the festival, this year she has scored a headliner position with the huge task of wrapping up the festivities on Sunday afternoon.
“I played at QMF years ago. I don’t even know what year it was but it was one of the first big festivals that I ever played; I was only playing little tiny stages. I think I played in a church but I think it’s a really beautiful festival and it’s in such a beautiful spot as well. It should be really fun.”
The 2018 Queenscliff Music Festival will be held from Friday 23 – Sunday 25 November.
Written by Alex Callan