Courtney Barnett

When I was on the road with Billy Bragg, it was cool because I was doing the whole thing solo and travel a lot by myself, which I quite like. I mean, I love being with friends, but it's kind of nice having that alone time. ”

The first song I wrote was called 'You,' and it was a love song about somebody who didn't even exist. ”

I like reading biographies because most of them are slightly similar, and it's voyeuristic, looking into someone's life. ”

I have a normal life; I don't do anything crazy. ”

We're a very success-driven culture, which is such a downer at times. Even if you don't think that way, you're forced to think that way. Everyone is trying to subconsciously out-do everyone else. ”

When I started Milk! Records, it was a pretty non-profit making venture. ”

What's funny about the slacker thing, people project an image of what they think a musician is: young, slack, unemployed - like a really romantic idea of a poet, writer or musician - which isn't really true a lot of the time. I don't reckon you would know anything about me if I wasn't moderately hard-working. ”

I'm self-deprecating - I spend a lot of time telling myself that things are OK, as opposed to having to tell myself to get over things. ”

People are like, 'Wow you started your own record label,' and treat me like I'm some sort of innovative genius, when I'm not at all. You've got the Internet and music - you put them together, and people hear your music. ”

An album is a thing you take time out and go work on. ”