Courtney Barnett Covers Fellow Australians Loose Tooth's “Keep On”

Music News
10/23/2019
Janice Headley
photo by Matthew B. Thompson

Courtney Barnett started the indie label Milk! Records to champion bands from her own backyard of Australia and close-enough New Zealand. Next month, the label celebrates itself with a compilation titled Milk on Milk featuring bands covering other bands on the label; in today's case, Barnett takes on the Loose Tooth track "Keep On." In a press release, Barnett says:

“We took Loose Tooth on tour around Europe in Mid-2018 and every night I sat in my hotel room teaching myself how to play 'Keep On.' This was before their album had come out but the song already felt like an old classic to me. I sat in bed with my guitar every night n I had to slow the song down and pull it apart a little bit n in that process it gained a certain weight where I heard the words differently. The chorus became a mantra and shook me up a bit. Loose Tooth have this incredible talent for churning out the sweetest pop songs with these biting lyrics, all whilst maintaining this charming n disarming onstage banter n crowd surfing to the bar for a beer mid-song. The lyrics to this song are particularly powerful n nostalgic to me. The band performing with me is Jen Sholakis on Drums, Dave Mudie on Bass n Me on Guitar. I didn’t let them rehearse cos I knew they’re too good and they’d work better n looser under the pressure. We recorded it in a few hours with everyone on vocals at the end plus a little added angel, Anika AKA Hachiku.”

Additional artists doing cover songs on the forthcoming compilation include Tiny Ruins, Jen Cloher, Evelyn Ida Morris, the Finks, Hachiku, East Brunswick All Girls Choir, and more. Check out Barnett's cover plus the original below, plus keep scrolling for a full track list and upcoming North American tour dates. Milk On Milk is out November 15th.

Milk On Milk Track List
1. Tiny Ruins - Tell Her She's Dreamin' (jade imagine cover)
2. Courtney Barnett - Keep On (Loose Tooth cover)
3. Hachiku - Body Language (The Finks cover)
4. Jen Cloher - The Body Appears (Evelyn Ida Morris cover)
5. The Finks - DOG FM (East Brunswick All Girls Choir cover)
6. Jade Imagine - Dream Wave (Tiny Ruins cover)
7. Evelyn Ida Morris - Nameless, Faceless (Courtney Barnett cover)
8. East Brunswick All Girls Choir - Polar Bears (Hachiku cover)
9. Loose Tooth - Name in Lights (Jen Cloher cover)

Upcoming Courtney Barnett U.S. Tour Dates
1/18/20 - Riveira Maya, Mexico @ Sky Blue Sky Festival
1/20/20 - Nashville, TN @ The Ryman (supporting Brandi Carlile) - SOLD OUT
1/21/20 - Nashville, TN @ The Ryman (supporting Brandi Carlile) - SOLD OUT
1/23/20 - Wilmington, DE @ The Queen* TICKETS
1/24/20 - Northampton, MA @ Iron Horse*  - SOLD OUT
1/25/20 - Woodstock, NY @ Levon Helm Studios*  - SOLD OUT
1/27/20 - Pittsburgh, PA @ The Warhol at Carnegie Lecture Hall*  - SOLD OUT
1/28/20 - Cleveland, OH @ Garner Auditorium* - SOLD OUT
1/29/20 - Bloomington, IL @ Castle Theatre* TICKETS
1/31/20 - Pioneertown, CA @ Pappy & Harriet's*  - SOLD OUT
2/1/20 - San Louis Obispo, CA @ Fremont Theater* TICKETS
2/2/20 - Sonoma, CA @ Redwood Barn* - SOLD OUT

*with support from Hachiku

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