courtney barnett – Mantis
Courtney Barnett’s fourth album ‘Creature of Habit’ arrives March 27, written in the middle of two significant upheavals: her move from Australia to Los Angeles, and the closure of Milk! Records, the independent label she’d run for twelve years, at the end of 2023. “Mantis” and “Sugar Plum” dropped together as the third and fourth singles, and between them they map out the album’s emotional territory pretty clearly.
“Mantis” is the one with a story behind it. Barnett was stuck, working on the track in her desert house studio, when a praying mantis appeared on the kitchen doorframe. She texted a photo to Stella Mozgawa — Warpaint drummer and frequent collaborator — who told her to look it up. The symbolism: patience, perseverance, a guide for those who need direction. “I stood and spoke to the mantis for a while, it was a strange and enlightening moment that I’ll never forget”, Barnett says. “Eventually, I got back to writing, and finally I had the chorus to this song”. Musically it sits on a two-chord electric guitar groove with a ride cymbal washing underneath — patient and searching, which fits. Barnett calls it “the microcosmic centerpiece of this album”. The album’s central question, as she frames it, is how to get out of your own way so you can actually feel your life. “Mantis” is where she found the answer to that.
“Sugar Plum” is the sunnier counterpart — rooted in the disorientation of the LA move, the fear of being in over your head, eventually finding the courage to stay and grow. Previous singles include “Stay in Your Lane” and “Site Unseen” featuring Waxahatchee. The North American tour kicks off May 1 in Austin with support from Truman Sinclair, Momma, Built to Spill, and Zoh Amba across different legs.
‘Creature of Habit’ is out March 27 via Mom+Pop (US) and Fiction Records (ROW).
Tracklist:
- Stay In Your Lane
- Wonder
- Site Unseen (featuring Waxahatchee)
- Mostly Patient
- One Thing At A Time
- Mantis
- Sugar Plum
- Same
- Great Advice
- Another Beautiful Day
Tour Dates:
Europe:
- March 28 – Manchester, UK – BBC Music Festival
- March 29 – Sunderland, UK – Independent
- March 30 – Hebden Bridge, UK – The Trades Club
- April 1 – Bedford, UK – Bedford Esquires
- April 2 – Margate, UK – Where Else?
North America:
- May 1 – Austin, TX, USA – RADIO/EAST (with Truman Sinclair)
- May 2 – Houston, TX, USA – White Oak Music Hall (with Truman Sinclair)
- May 3 – Dallas, TX, USA – The Bomb Factory (with Truman Sinclair)
- May 5 – Nashville, TN, USA – Ryman Auditorium (with Truman Sinclair)
- May 6 – Atlanta, GA, USA – Tabernacle (with Truman Sinclair)
- May 8 – Richmond, VA, USA – The National (with Truman Sinclair) — JUST ADDED
- May 9 – Brooklyn, NY, USA – Kings Theatre (with Momma & Truman Sinclair) — LOW TICKETS
- May 10 – Washington, DC, USA – The Anthem (with Momma & Truman Sinclair)
- May 12 – Philadelphia, PA, USA – The Fillmore (with Momma & Truman Sinclair)
- May 13 – Boston, MA, USA – Roadrunner (with Momma & Truman Sinclair)
- May 15 – Madison, WI, USA – The Sylvee (with Truman Sinclair)
- May 16 – St. Paul, MN, USA – Palace Theatre (with Truman Sinclair)
- May 19 – St. Louis, MO, USA – The Hawthorn (with Truman Sinclair)
- May 20 – Columbus, OH, USA – Newport Music Hall (with Truman Sinclair)
- May 21 – Detroit, MI, USA – Majestic Theatre (with Truman Sinclair)
- May 22 – Toronto, ON, Canada – History (with Truman Sinclair)
- August 11 – Cleveland, OH, USA – Agora Theater (with Zoh Amba)
- August 12 – Pittsburgh, PA, USA – Roxian Theatre (with Zoh Amba)
- August 14 – Cincinnati, OH, USA – MegaCorp Pavilion (with Zoh Amba)
- August 15 – Kansas City, MO, USA – The Truman (with Zoh Amba)
- August 18 – Seattle, WA, USA – Woodland Park Zoo Amphitheater (with Built to Spill & Zoh Amba) — JUST ADDED
- August 19 – Portland, OR, USA – Pioneer Courthouse Square (with Built to Spill & Zoh Amba) — JUST ADDED
- August 21 – Denver, CO, USA – Mission Ballroom (with Zoh Amba)
- August 22 – Salt Lake City, UT, USA – Rockwell at The Complex (with Zoh Amba)
- August 24 – Sacramento, CA, USA – Channel 24 (with Zoh Amba)
- August 26 – San Francisco, CA, USA – The Fillmore (with Zoh Amba) — SOLD OUT
- August 27 – San Francisco, CA, USA – The Fillmore (with Zoh Amba) — LOW TICKETS
- August 29 – Los Angeles, CA, USA – Hollywood Palladium (with Built to Spill & Zoh Amba)
