Kurt Vile and Courtney Barnett have been working on a collaborative album over the last year, and will perform three shows in Chicago to support it, with the third night at Empty Bottle as part of the venue's 25th anniversary. Their backing band will consist of members of The Violaters and Sleater-Kinney, amongst others. 

Courtney Barnett and Kurt Vile will lead an all-star band on a once-in-a-lifetime tour of North America this fall. The announcement comes as two of this generation’s most exciting and unique singer-songwriters reveal that they have completed a collaboration album for release later this year. The inter-continental duo will share the stage, performing songs off their upcoming album as well as delving into their respective back catalogues and covering a bunch of classics, all backed by their band ‘The Sea Lice,’ a revolving cast of musicians including Janet Weiss (Sleater-Kinney, Wild Flag), Stella Mozgawa (Warpaint), Rob Laakso (The Violators, The Swirlies, Mice Parade) and Katie Harkin (Harkin, Sky Larkin and touring member of Sleater-Kinney and Wild Beasts). “A cookin’ band and an intercontinental country duo for the ages—minus the country,” says Vile. Kurt and Courtney have partnered with Plus 1 so that $1 from every ticket goes to support the ACLU and their work defending and protecting our individual rights and liberties. Support for the Courtney Barnett and Kurt Vile (and The Sea Lice) tour will be Australian songwriter Jen Cloher. The album is the result of 8 days in the studio spread over almost 15 months when Courtney and Kurt’s respective touring schedules allowed for them to be in the same place at the same time. It will be released later this year jointly by Matador Records, Marathon Artists and Milk! Records.