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On my radar: Courtney Barnett’s cultural highlights

Born in Sydney, Australia in 1987, singer-songwriter Courtney Barnett is known for her lo-fi take on indie rock, wistful lyrics and deadpan delivery. She studied fine art at the Tasmanian School of Art and in 2012 founded Milk! Records with then-girlfriend Jen Cloher. Her 2015 debut album, Sometimes I Sit and Think, and Sometimes I Just Sit, brought her international acclaim and nominations for a Grammy and Brit award, and in 2017 she released a collaborative album with Kurt Vile. Her third album, Things Take Time, Take Time is out now. She lives in Melbourne.

1. Festival

Trans-Pecos Festival, Marfa, Texas

This was one of the first shows I’ve been to in a while, so I was just enjoying the atmosphere of being back and experiencing music with people. Sleater-Kinney played, and Ben Kweller, and Cate Le Bon – it was such an incredible performance. The sun was setting and it was just this dreamy scenario. Standing in that audience you could feel everybody’s attention: you could feel how quiet everybody was and how in awe they were of what was going on on stage. I feel like everyone’s gratitude levels for live music have sky-rocketed.

2. Book

Nina Simone’s Gum by Warren Ellis

I’m a fan of Warren’s music and I was interested to read something he had written. You get a snapshot into his life and career through this story about Nina Simone – he saw her last London performance and took a piece of gum she had been chewing, and it became this kind of talisman for him. He carried it with him for years and then when Nick Cave was putting together an art gallery he decided to exhibit the gum. It’s a beautifully written book about the power of music and objects. I powered through it in two days.

3. Restaurant

La Copine, Yucca Valley, California

I’m staying out in Joshua Tree at the moment and there’s a restaurant here that’s 15 minutes away. It has really well curated music and amazing food. It’s quite a small menu, which I like, very seasonal and thoughtfully crafted. They have nice salads, meat options, vegan options. I’ve been quite obsessed with the burger: a classic burger, but like the best burger I’ve ever had. All the staff that work there are really caring and loving, and it’s constantly busy. It’s just a really special spot out here.

4. Album

Collapsed in Sunbeams by Arlo Parks

Arlo Parks performs at the Village Underground, London in September 2021
Arlo Parks performs at the Village Underground, London in September 2021

I’ve really been enjoying this album, which came out earlier this year and won the Mercury prize. It’s brought me a lot of joy – I’ve been sitting on the back porch, listening to it in headphones in the sun. I really like the song Eugene. Recently I saw her do a small stripped-back performance with just her singing and a guitar player, and you can hear how well-written the song is and what an amazing singer and performer she is.

5. App

PictureThis

I’ve been using this a lot lately – it’s a plant identifier. You take a photo of a plant or flower and it tells you what it is and how to water it or replant it and how much sun it needs and what kind of soil, or if something’s wrong – if it needs more water or if it’s got root rot. I use it for my houseplants – I’ve got friends looking after them when I’m gone. Here in California I’ve been using it to identify the different cacti, succulents and desert trees. I’m obsessed with it.

6. Podcast

Create/Destroy

I listen to podcasts when I’m driving, or doing housework. This one is pretty new, there’s only a few episodes so far. It’s by a musician called Anna Lunoe, and she interviews musicians or artists – it’s an hour-long chat about creativity and purpose. I listened to an episode the other day and just felt so inspired by it, listening to people talk so vulnerably about what they do. The one I listened to was with TT the Artist: I wasn’t too familiar with her, but I identified with a lot of her creative struggles.