Courtney Barnett, the Australian indie rock sensation of 2015, has just released the video for her latest single “Nobody Really Cares If You Don’t Go To The Party” off of her critically acclaimed first full album Sometimes I Sit and Think, Sometimes I Just Sit.
Barnett began her career in 2010 as second guitarist in a grunge band called Rapid Transit. From 2011 to 2013, she performed with a band called Immigrant Union, sharing vocals and playing slide guitar. During that time, she began her own label, Milk! Records, and released her debut solo EP. Sometimes I Sit and Think, Sometimes I Just Sit, released in spring 2015, is her first full-length solo album.
The video was released with much anticipation; billboards and posters, like the one above the band in the video, have been plastered around cities worldwide for months. Murals were even put up as a marketing tool for the music video. This campaign, this song, and this video are perfection incarnate of Courtney’s uniquely ironic style. They are grand but simple; guerrilla but accessible.
Barnett’s latest music video was shot during an unannounced live performance on August 17th outside of Camden Town tube station in London. She halts Camden traffic with her music and with one of the much-discussed billboards over her head. Her performance draws the attention of the masses, as a new rock star’s should. However, in contrast to the stereotypical live performance, Courtney is playing for free, on a Monday, during the daylight, and she’s smiling. The advertising for this was month long and global, but she’s wearing a t-shirt and has minimal, if any, makeup. Of course, this is also reflective of the irony at the heart of the song and, especially, the chorus: “I want to go out but I want to stay home.” Watch the visual below.
Increasingly known for her live performances, Courtney Barnett has already sold out her North American leg of the tour. She will even be performing in Madison Square Garden as the opening act for Blur. You can almost picture fans in the venue screaming this witty, satirical chorus and rocking to the electrifying guitar solo.
This article contains work from Kelsey Smith
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