Courtney Barnett & Kurt Vile Announce New Collaborative Album And Tour

Just call them Kurtney. After touring together and crossing paths at music festival over the last few years, Kurt Vile and Courtney Barnett have announced a collaborative album and tour together with a supergroup they've dubbed The Sea Lice, featuring members of Sleater-Kinney, Warpaint and more.

As Pitchfork reports, Vile and Barnett recorded the new album in eight days, spread over 15 months. In a statement, Barnett explains, "In 2014 I scored a support slot opening for Kurt at the Abbotsford Convent [outside Melbourne]. We met briefly after the show but I was a bit nervous and didn't wanna bother him, just grateful for the gig.

"Years later we started bumping into each other on the festival circuit all around the wide world and we became friends. He hit me up when he was coming to Melbourne next and said he thought we could work together."

The Sea Lice will feature Janet Weiss of Sleater-Kinney, Rob Laakso of The Violators/Mice Parade, Stella Mozgawa of Warpaint and Katie Harkin, a touring member of Sleater-Kinney, along with support from Jen Cloher, with the motley crew of musos heading around on a huge US tour together in October.