The colloquial definition of ‘tall poppy syndrome’ refers to an outbreak of criticism directed at one of our own for becoming more than moderately successful. Courtney Barnett must be a prime candidate for such a mean-spirited attack. The Melbourne-based singer-songwriter’s debut LP, Sometimes I Sit And Think, And Sometimes I Just Sit, came out in late March, whereupon it debuted at number four on the ARIA charts, as well as entering the UK and US charts at 16 and 20 respectively.
Yet in spite of Barnett’s unheralded success, the predictable wave of tall poppy syndrome hasn’t transpired. Why not? Well, not only does Barnett’s songwriting relate playful observations of day-to-day experiences, but she also seems entirely lacking in pretensions.
“I don’t like the idea of trying to make people like the music you are trying to sell,” she says. “I prefer people to discover the music and want to buy it to support the artist, and then want to share it with their friends. Maybe that’s a bit pie in the sky, but that’s how music should be. You shouldn’t buy a record because every newspaper is telling you to buy it. You should buy it if someone shows it to you and you like it.”
Of course, anyone can feign surprise in the face of growing fame, but in Barnett’s case, this modesty appears to be genuine. For supporting evidence, you only need to look at Sometimes I Sit And Think, And Sometimes I Just Sit itself. First there’s the lazy Zen of the album title, which is perfectly complemented by the cover image – a pseudo-impressionist sketch of a wicker chair on a picnic rug. But the most telling indicator of Barnett’s commercial disregard is her idiosyncratic songwriting. It seems patently clear the record wasn’t tailored to meet the expectations of her growing stature.
Nonetheless, Barnett doesn’t approach her music with utter nonchalance. Take for instance the album’s fourth track, ‘Small Poppies’.The seven-minute slow burner starts by questioning the point of the tall poppy impulse. In the opening chorus, Barnett guardedly sings, “I don’t know quite who I am, but man I am trying / I’ll make mistakes until I get it right.” However, as the song progresses, the lyrics shift from a two-way conversation into an internal mantra. By the final chorus, Barnett sounds empowered as she screams those same lyrics.
This development from uncertainty into decisive self-confidence mirrors the record’s creative process. “To be honest, I kind of freaked out when I did look at it as an album,” says Barnett. “I thought, ‘These songs aren’t going to fit together very well, I don’t know what I’m doing,’ which is how I live most of my life – not knowing what the hell I’m doing. But I just kept writing and it became clear that they’re not the same, but they still fit together because they’re of the same kind of mentality.”
Chart success mightn’t be the be-all and end-all, but those aforementioned sales figures are worth a closer look. Considering Sometimes I Sit And Think came out through Barnett’s own Milk! Records label, the ensuing fervour is even more impressive. By now, the label’s roster also includes the likes of Fraser A. Gorman and Jen Cloher. However, when Barnett created Milk!, she simply wanted something to stamp on the back of her debut EP, 2012’s I’ve Got A Friend Called Emily Ferris.
The label remains a homespun operation, and it’s fair to assume the majority of releases that surrounded Sometimes I Sit And Think on the charts had considerably larger promotional budgets. Rather than a strategic marketing plan, Barnett’s rise to international renown has been assisted by glowing critical feedback from the likes of Pitchfork, Spin, NME and The Guardian.
However, the songwriter’s influential admirers can’t take all the credit. In fact, for the most part, her journey has been conducted on foot. Over the last 18 months, Barnett and her band – featuring bass player Bones Sloane, drummer Dave Mudie and guitarist/producer Dan Luscombe of The Drones – have conducted multiple tours of the US, UK and Europe. With each return visit, larger and more rapt audiences have greeted them.
“I’m just grateful that people are connecting with my music and coming to shows,” Barnett says. “I don’t know where they’ve come from or where they’ve heard the music, but it’s nice that they’re there. However they found out about it, they’ve obviously connected in some way.”
Prior to her inaugural overseas trip in October 2013, Barnett was still playing relatively small local shows. Nevertheless, looking back, she wasn’t daunted about transitioning onto the world stage.
“We were kind of always just playing it by ear and never being completely organised or any of that. But I’ve always been happy with how we play. Then you just see how you grow as a musician. Even just playing with the same guys for the last year, we all grow in different ways. I’ve loved watching them become these amazing musicians from playing so much, but also from stepping out of the box and trying different ideas and not being scared to fuck up. It’s kind of the point of playing music – not doing the same thing all the time and being bored of it.”
Barnett and co. have just kicked off the home leg of their global album tour, which features her biggest Australian shows to date. The band’s appearances at Laneway Festival earlier this year proved how adept they’ve become at commanding a mass audience.
“Big festivals are awesome,” Barnett says. “They’re really surreal to play and you feel like a bit of an impostor, but it’s fun. It’s fun to dick around with the boys and act like an idiot in our own little space, but it’s funny being backstage and walking past some famous person and we just look at each other and giggle, because we’re there as well. It’s this really funny moment of being like, ‘Wow, we’re backstage with all these famous people,’ and it’s because we’re playing as well. It’s still funny and I don’t think it’s something I’ll get used to.”
Barnett’s reluctance to assert ownership over her fame shouldn’t be mistaken for a lack of confidence. In essence, songwriting and performance exist separately from one’s commercial standing. Barnett understands that sometimes it’s important to sit and think about this distinction.
“It’s art, it’s a flexible thing, but it’s the only thing I know how to do, and I love doing it and the joys and pains that come with it. I definitely have moments of self-doubt. I always have, through my entire life, but that keeps you on your toes and constantly considering who you are and where you are and your place in the world and the lucky position that we’re in. If you don’t keep check of that, I think you can lose where you are in relation to everything else.”
Courtney Barnett photo by Ian Laidlaw.
Sometimes I Sit And Think, And Sometimes I Just Sit is out now through Milk!/Remote Control. Courtney Barnett plays Metro Theatre withTeeth & Tongue, Thursday May 7 and Friday May 8.
