‘I’m The Sky’: the album Courtney Barnett became obsessed with
Australian singer-songwriter Courtney Barnett curated the eclectic touring festival Here And There in 2022, featuring exciting artists and bands from around the indie sphere. The format was inspired by Barnett’s experiences touring as well as her love for curation. She wanted a chance to shine a light on the unique musical identities of each region the festival stopped in as well as showcase certain musicians Barnett was personally excited by. She particularly hit it out of the park with then-up-and-comers Bartees Strange, Ethel Cain, Faye Webster, and Leith Ross.
The festival also featured more established bands like Waxahatchee, Sleater-Kinney, Alvvays, and, for some reason, comedian Fred Armisen. Unfortunately, there is no sign that the festival may return in the future, and it’s likely the 2022 instalment was the first and final. The festival had a different lineup every date, so no two cities got the same show. In celebration of the festival, she curated a collection of records for the website Vinyl Me Please, showcasing her tastes further.
One particular standout from the list is a collection of outtakes and demo recordings from the late 1960s folk singer-songwriter Norma Tanega titled I’m The Sky. The record’s inclusions span between 1964 and 1971.
Barnett says of the record: “I forget how I came across Norma Tanega, but I’m glad it happened when it happened. I may have been studying some Dusty Springfield and followed a songwriting thread. I first listened to Walkin’ My Cat Named Dog, and so then was excited to see this compilation come out recently. One of my favourite types of albums is the ‘demo and studio out-takes compilation’ album. I got obsessed with the song ‘Elephants Angels and Roses’, which I hadn’t heard before.”
The first half of the compilation includes standouts from Tanega’s two studio albums, such as 1966’s Walkin’ My Cat Named Dog and 1971’s I Don’t Think It Will Hurt If You Smile. The cut ‘You’re Dead’ from Cat Named Dog has garnered traction for Tanega on streaming after being featured in the mockumentary movie What We Do in the Shadows.
After releasing Walkin’ My Cat Named Dog, Tanega toured England, where she met the singer Dusty Springfield. The two developed a romantic relationship and lived together in London for five years. Tanega helped write a few of Springfield’s songs, including ‘No Stranger Am I’, ‘The Colour of Your Eyes’, and ‘Earthbound Gypsy’.
When Tanega’s relationship with Springfield ended, she moved back to her hometown of Claremont, California, and took jobs teaching music and English as a second language at public schools as well as becoming an adjunct professor at California State Polytechnic University, Pomona. During this time, she became interested in experimental music, playing earthenware instruments with Scripps ceramics professor Brian Ransom’s Ceramic Ensemble in the 1980s. She died at the beginning of 2020 after a battle with colon cancer.
Barnett’s other selections include Beverly Glenn-Copeland’s 1970 self-titled record, Big Joanie’s 2022 record, Back Home (inspired by Barnett’s love for their cover of Solange’s ‘Cranes in the Sky’), Running With the Hurricane, the final record from fellow Australians Camp Cope, and Sampa the Great’s most recent record, As Above, So Below.
