Courtney Barnett: The Bitter End 2026

This  FUV Live session is also available as a podcast, "FUV Live Sessions." We're elevating WFUV's long history of live sessions and interviews via a podcast that you can find on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and Amazon Podcasts. New episodes drop every Monday.

Courtney Barnett's solo set at The Bitter End came hand-in-hand with the release of her new album, Creature of Habit.

As ever, her new songs are expansive and stay true to Barnett's trademark wit, turns of phrase, and deadpan delivery. I especially like Creature of Habit's gorgeous closing track, "Another Beautiful Day." 

“Reborn every morning," sings Barnett, "still somehow getting older.” That track has a really great guitar solo. Her playing throughout the record is excellent. It’s loose, emotive, and sometimes crackling and grunge, like on the first single, "Stay In Your Lane." 

For her 11-song set at The Bitter End, it was just Barnett and her electric guitar. It was really impressive how much emotion and feeling she puts out with such a minimal setup. 

During our conversation, recorded later, she talked about getting out of her own way and finding inspiration in little things like a praying mantis — which ended being the cover image of the record and inspired the centerpiece of the record, "Mantis."

[Recorded: 3/23/26. Engineered by Jim O'Hara. Produced by Meghan Suma. Videographers: Olivia Iannaccone, Dylan Duong, and Jim O'Hara.]