
Courtney Barnett and Kurt Vile
Courtney Barnett Photo: Gus Stewart/Getty Images, Kurt Vile Photo: Rick Kern/Getty Images
Kurt Vile, Courtney Barnett announce new album and tour
Something special is brewing in the indie rock cauldron. Courtney Barnett, Australian songwriting prophet and former Best New Artist nominee, and Kurt Vile, American leader of lo-fi, have joined forces for a new album and tour.
The as-yet untitled album has not received an official release date. The LP was recorded in a mere eight days of studio sessions spread out over a 15-month period. According to Consequence of Sound, the project started small and grew over time into a full-length album.
"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 five songs," Vile explained, "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."
Perhaps even more exciting, Barnett and Vile have recruited an all-star band, the Sea Lice, to tour the United States in support of their new album. The stunning live lineup is far from "Pedestrian At Best," including Sleater-Kinney's Janet Weiss, Warpaint's Stella Mozgawa, Sky Larkin's Katie Larkin, and Vile's longtime partner and member of his backing band, the Violators, Rob Laakso.
Fans looking to see this collaboration come to life onstage will have much to look forward starting with the tour's kickoff in San Diego in October.
More Courtney Barnett: Watch the Aussie's first interview on the GRAMMY red carpet