GRAMMY nominated songstress Courtney Barnett at Sunderland Independent on 29th March

By Shaun Quinn

On February 27, 2026

In News

COURTNEY BARNETT

UNVEILS TWO BRAND-NEW SINGLES

“MANTIS”

LISTEN HERE

& “SUGAR PLUM”

LISTEN HERE

FOURTH STUDIO ALBUM CREATURE OF HABIT OUT MARCH 27

PRE-SAVE / PRE-ORDER HERE

UK TOUR BEGINS MARCH 28

GRAMMY nominated songstress Courtney Barnett at Sunderland Independent on 29th March

Courtney Barnett Press Photo, credit: Lindsey Byrnes

Today, GRAMMY and BRIT Award-nominated Australian singer-songwriter Courtney Barnett debuts two brand new songs, “Mantis” and “Sugar Plum,” via Fiction Records. The new tracks serve as the third and fourth official singles off her highly anticipated fourth studio album, Creature of Habit, to be released on March 27.

Mantis is one of Creature of Habit’s pivotal tracks, documenting the moment of serendipity where a praying mantis visited Barnett’s studio and indirectly provided the inspiration and creative pathway that would lead to the completion of her album. “Praying mantis on my door, looking for meaning or just any sign at all,” she sings over guitars as bright and urgent as a desert sunrise. It’s Barnett at her most bright-eyed, clear and melodic.

Sugar Plum is also a radiant highlight from Creature of Habit. As with many tracks on the album, the song deals with Barnett’s life-long struggle with self-doubt before a sense of optimism and wonder wins out in a transcendent final refrain.

“Mantis is the microcosmic centerpiece of this album, it embodies the message and meaning of every track. It’s a song about searching, and it helped me find my way through Creature Of Habit.

I was feeling particularly lost while I was working on this song. One day, I was standing in the kitchen, making a coffee, when I noticed a little green praying mantis sitting on top of the doorframe. I had never seen one there in the desert house, so I took it as an important sign from the universe. I texted a photo to Stella and she said it’s good luck, look it up! I did a quick search and found it to also represent patience, perseverance and a guide for those who needed direction. I stood and spoke to the mantis for a while, it was a strange and enlightening moment that I’ll never forget. Eventually, I got back to writing, and finally I had the chorus to this song.”
Courtney Barnett

Creature of Habit is a bold, emotionally resonant record that explores the central question: how to get out of your own way so you can truly feel your life. Written in the wake of a relocation from Australia to Los Angeles and the closure of her long-running label Milk! Records, Barnett was grappling with changes that put the future of both her life and career in question. Rather than internalizing those feelings, she decided to bring all this swirling confusion directly into the recording process. With previous singles “Stay in Your Lane,” and “Site Unseen (feat. Waxahatchee)” setting the tone, the album will mark a decisive new chapter in Courtney Barnett’s musical evolution.

Courtney Barnett UK Tour Dates

March 28 – Manchester – BBC Music Festival
March 29 – Sunderland – Independent
March 30 – Hebden Bridge – The Trades Club
April 1 – Bedford – Bedford Esquires
April 2 – Margate – Where Else?

Creature of Habit Tracklist

Stay In Your Lane
Wonder
Site Unseen (featuring Waxahatchee)
Mostly Patient
One Thing At A Time
Mantis
Sugar Plum
Same
Great Advice
Another Beautiful Day

s Courtney Barnett

Creature of Habit Album Cover Art

Courtney Barnett, s Courtney Barnett

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