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Aug 30, 2017 Courtney Barnett By Christopher Roberts

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Australian singer/songwriter/guitarist Courtney Barnett and American singer/songwriter/guitarist Kurt Vile previously announced they were teaming up for a new collaborative album, as well as a collaborative fall tour featuring an “all-star band.” At the time no further details were given about the album, but now they have announced the title, release date, cover art, and tracklist. It’s entitled Lotta Sea Lice and is due out October 13 via Matador. They have also shared a video for the album’s first single, the 6-minute long “Over Everything.” Watch it below, followed by the tracklist and tour dates.

Danny Cohen directed the “Over Everything” video, which was beautifully filmed in black & white. Cohen shot Barnett in Australia and Vile in America, as they both perform the song out in the country and in towns, sometimes in very long shots. But in a twist Barnett sings Vile’s part and Vile sings Barnett’s part. This fits the vibe of the album, as on two songs they each cover each other’s songs. As a press release explains, Vile delivers “a delicious, souped-up version of ‘Outta the Woodwork’ backed by Barnett herself,” and Barnett takes on Vile’s “Peepin’ Tomboy” “completely solo, to spine-tingling result.” Plus on the album cover Vile is positioned underneath Barnett’s name and Barnett is positioned underneath Vile’s name.

Lotta Sea Lice also features special guests Mick Turner and Jim White of Dirty Three, Stella Mozgawa from Warpaint, and Mick Harvey. The album was recorded in eight non-consecutive days spread out over the course of 15 months.

On tour the duo will be backed by “The Sea Lice,” which is “a revolving cast of musicians” that includes Janet Weiss (Sleater-Kinney, Wild Flag), Stella Mozgawa (Warpaint), Rob Laakso (The Violators, The Swirlies, Mice Parade), and Katie Harkin (Harkin, Sky Larkin, and touring member of Sleater-Kinney and Wild Beasts). In a previous press release Vile called it “a cookin’ band and an intercontinental country duo for the ages-minus the country.”

Australian songwriter Jen Cloher (Barnett’s partner) will be the support act on the tour and they have partnered with Plus 1, “so that $1 from every ticket goes to support the ACLU and their work defending and protecting our individual rights and liberties.”

Barnett had this to say about the collaboration in a previous press release: “In 2014 I scored a support slot opening for Kurt at the Abbotsford Convent [outside Melbourne]. We met briefly after the show but I was a bit nervous and didn’t wanna bother him, just grateful for the gig. Years later we started bumping into each other on the festival circuit all around the wide world and we became friends. He hit me up when he was coming to Melbourne next and said he thought we could work together.”

Barnett later added: “I’m a huge Kurt fan. Smoke Ring was one of my first purchases on vinyl. I was getting over a big break-up, unemployed and drifting and I would just lie on my bed and listen to ‘Peepin’ Tom’ on repeat. One of the most beautiful and luscious albums I ever heard. Me and Jen fell in love to that album.”

Vile had this to say in a previous press release: “I just love her voice in general… great lyrics of course… I love all her music but the song that really hit me was ‘Depreston’-I know it’s popular but her voice is so good in that song and it’s so pretty and sincere… I’m a sucker for that kinda song: instant classic. It started out as, maybe we’ll do a split 7” together but then I figured let’s make it a 12” so it doesn’t get lost in the world, shoot for 5 songs. It wasn’t until I had another KV tour booked for the following summer in Oz that we thought we should record as much as we can, just see what happens, no major goal to make it a full length, but it came together that way ‘cause the vibe was so strong with everyone.”

Barnett released her debut full-length album, Sometimes I Sit and Think, and Sometimes I Just Sit, via Mom + Pop in 2015 and it landed at #6 on Under the Radar‘s Top 100 Albums of 2015 list. Vile’s last studio album, b’lieve i’m goin down…, also came out in 2015, via Matador. Read our interview with Vile about that album.

Also read our joint interview between Barnett and Wilco’s Jeff Tweedy, from our Best of 2015 issue.

Lotta Sea Lice Tracklist:

1. Over Everything
2. Let It Go
3. Fear Is Like A Forest
4. Outta The Woodwork
5. Continental Breakfast
6. On Script
7. Blue Cheese
8. Peepin’ Tom
9. Untogether

Courtney Barnett and Kurt Vile Tour Dates:

10/11 - San Diego, CA - House of Blues
10/14 - Los Angeles, CA - The Cathedral Sanctuary at Immanuel Presbyterian Church (SOLD OUT)
10/15 - Los Angeles, CA - Orpheum Theatre
10/18 - Oakland, CA - Fox Theatre
10/20 - Portland, OR - Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall
10/21 - Seattle, WA - Moore Theatre
10/22 - Seattle, WA - The Showbox (SOLD OUT)
10/25 - St. Paul, MN - Palace Theatre (SOLD OUT)
10/26 - Chicago, IL - Rockefeller Chapel (SOLD OUT)
10/27 - Chicago, IL - Thalia Hall (SOLD OUT)
10/28 - Chicago, IL - Empty Bottle (SOLD OUT)
10/30 - Royal Oak, MI - Royal Oak Music Theatre
10/31 - Toronto, Ontario - Massey Hall
11/01 - New York, NY - Beacon Theatre (SOLD OUT)
11/03 - Upper Darby, PA - Tower Theatre
11/04 - Boston, MA - Orpheum Theatre
11/06 - Loew’s Jersey Theatre - Jersey City, NJ
11/07 - The Anthem - Washington, DC
11/09 - Nashville, TN - Ryman Auditorium
11/10 - Dallas, TX - McFarlin Memorial Auditorium
11/11 - Austin, TX - ACL Live at the Moody Theater (SOLD OUT)

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