Courtney Barnett releases a new tune today, Mantis, from the Australian’s forthcoming album Creature Of Habit.

Courtney Barnett is one of the most original voices in music. I’ve loved her ever since I first heard Avant Gardener, her deadpan account of an asthma attack set to swirling psychedelia.

I was drawn in by the combination of her insouciant semi-spoken vocals and her whip-smart lyrics that had more in common with storytelling than poetry: “I wanna grow tomatoes on the front steps / sunflowers, bean sprouts, sweetcorn and radishes.”

My favourite part is when the ambulance arrives to take her to hospital after her asthma attack: “Ther paramedic thinks I’m clever ’cause I play guitar / I think she’s clever ’cause she stops people dying.”

Anyway, after a flirtation with heavy grunge which didn’t sit as happily with me as her older material, Courtney is back doing what (for me) she’s always done best: conjuring quirky images alongside more melodic music.

Praying Mantis was inspired, she says, by finding the said insect on the door of her studio in the California desert, where she has relocated from Melbourne.

“I was feeling particularly lost while I was working on this song,” she recalls. “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 (Mozgawa, the drummer in Warpaint who is Barnett’s partner and musical collaborator) 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.”