Courtney Barnett Signs Record Deal With Remote Control

Star Melbourne singer and songwriter Courtney Barnett has signed a label deal with Remote Control ahead her debut album later this year.

Barnett will release the record on her own label Milk! Records with promotion and marketing services through Remote Control, who themselves have a distribution deal with Inertia.

Managed by Nick O'Byrne, it has been a break-out 12 months for Barnett with international media acclaim (including Uncut, The New York Times, Pitchfork), and festival appearances (Coachella, Primavera, Sasquatch).

Remote Control Director Steve Cross told theMusic.com.au today, “Everyone at Remote Control is thrilled to be working with Courtney. Her work is the latest chapter in the remarkable tradition of Australian songwriters who go beyond merely singing to their audience and actually engage them in a conversation.

“Her songs are grounded in the everyday but capture something universal. They are filled with local references but, as the incredible reaction in the USA and UK shows, resonate with people on the other side of the world. It's exciting times for Courtney and we look forward to joining her on the journey she is embarking on.”

Barnett recently told theMusic's Dan Condon that they will be making the album “in April”.

“That's what I like doing the most – I love playing and touring, but I like making new stuff, it kinda keeps you on your toes… It's good to keep busy and not know what you're doing. All the other songs I just made up as they went – that's the way that I like to look at it. Even though I freak out about everything, everything's just one experiment after another. If the album is full of shit songs then I'll just do another one and do another one after that.”

She added, “I've got a handful of new songs I really like; they're a lot heavier, which is fun. Louder and a bit grungy.”

Prior to the debut album, Remote Control will release her two EPs – 2012's I've Got A Friend Called Emily Ferris and 2013's How To Carve A Carrot Into A Rose – as The Double EP: A Sea Of Split Peas in March on CD, with a vinyl edition to follow. Earlier this week it emerged that the same double EP will be released in the US through Mom + Pop Music.

It has already been released in the UK through Marathon.

Barnett is booked locally by Andy Gumley at Village Sounds, by Xray Touring in the UK and Europe and the Windish Agency in north American.

She kept a diary for theMusic.com.au during last year's trip to CMJ. She'll be supporting Billy Bragg around the country this March and is currently on a sold out tour of the UK and US.