Interview: The Nervous Nature Of Courtney Barnett
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- A lot has changed for Courtney Barnett since stepping foot on stage in Philadelphia last June.
At the time the Australian singer was just three months removed from her proper debut studio album, and the wave of critical acclaim had just begun to form.
That was before the Best New Artist Grammy Nomination, before the "new Bob Dylan" labels, and before her Saturday Night Live finale performance pushed Barnett into a full-on ocean of praise.
Today though, Barnett remains humble and bashful as she speaks softly from an airport in Florida.
"I don't know about pressure, but nerves. I get nervous regardless I think. I just get the same amount of nerves at every show" says Barnett of the louder support and bigger fanbase that has amassed in the past year. "Well I don't know, maybe more people is more nerves actually" she laughs.
For the most nerves, Courtney Barnett put her shredding folk-rock in the spotlight of Saturday Night Live's season finale this week. "It's been pretty crazy, a lot of fun" she explains via phone. "I was so nervous. I was pacing around like crazy and trying to warm up my voice and trying to remember all my lyrics and stuff."
The quietest parts of Courtney Barnett happen on the phone. Once she steps on stage though, her performance is blistering. Deadpan observations with a dash of humor and some blazing fretwork is the pillar that holds up all of her praise. It is also what has drawn so many Bob Dylan comparisons to the 28-year-old.
"It's a nice comparison if someone wants to make it I guess" she shyly says of the Dylan talk. "I'm a fan. A big fan of Dylan. So yeah."
After she escapes from the Pensacola Airport - which Barnett notes plainly as "very nice" - Courtney Barnett will once again hit the road. She plays Electric Factory in Philadelphia on Thursday May 26th.
To hear more from Courtney Barnett, listen to the full interview below.
