- 8 months ago
Lars Gotrich | December 17, 2025
The Tiny Desk hasn't seen string lights, paper snowflakes and garlands in a while. The holiday show is a tradition we love — and have missed — at NPR Music, so when considering an artist to deck the halls of the office, I kept coming back to Sixpence None the Richer.
So much of the holiday season, especially as we grow older, is about finding a balance between bright lights and dark nights. Sixpence None the Richer's music finds depth in the in-between, with buoyant melodies that twist and twirl, and lyrics underpinned by awe and wonder. "The Last Christmas" slowly waltzes the opening of this set, exploring the endings and beginnings of parenthood, inspired by the birth of guitarist Matt Slocum's first child. Leigh Nash introduces "It Came Upon a Midnight Clear" as a holiday standard she listens to year-round, its depictions of angels — whom she brilliantly calls "alien-adjacent" — a source of comfort. Nash also shares "Eternal Gifts," from one of her solo records, her candied voice sitting between a lilt and a twang as pedal steel rumbles and recedes beneath.
But you can't bring Sixpence None the Richer to the Tiny Desk and not ask the band to play some of its most defining work. "Melody of You," to me, is a modern psalm — and of a piece with Christmas, as a love letter from an artist to their creator. And then, of course, there's the song that keeps finding new life. Coming up on its 30 birthday, "Kiss Me" has taken the band around the world and found fans in unexpected places; Slocum joked with me that it's given him cred with his daughters. But "Kiss Me" also provides a simple sweetness at a moment when it's desperately needed. Before she sings, Nash sends us off with this message: "All the hope and love in the world to you, and happy holidays."
And if you are looking for more seasonal cheer, you can stream holiday music 24/7 from NPR stations across the country, exclusively available on the NPR App. Just click on the Music tab.
SET LIST
"The Last Christmas"
"It Came Upon a Midnight Clear"
"Melody of You"
"Eternal Gifts"
"Kiss Me"
MUSICIANS
Leigh Nash: vocals
Matt Slocum: guitar
Justin Cary: bass
Jon Radford: drums
Steve Hindalong: percussion
Phil Madeira: accordion, lap steel
TINY DESK TEAM
Producer: Lars Gotrich
Director/Editor: Maia Stern
Audio Technical Director: Neil Tevault
Host/Series Producer: Bobby Carter
Videographers: Maia Stern, Joshua Bryant, Mitra I. Arthur
Audio Engineer: Josephine Nyounai
Production Assistants: Dora Levite, Dhanika Pineda
Photographer: Zayrha Rodriguez
Tiny Desk Team: Kara Frame, Josh Newell
Executive Producer: Suraya Mohamed
Executive Director: Sonali Mehta
Series Creators: Bob Boilen, Stephen Thompson, Robin Hilton
The Tiny Desk hasn't seen string lights, paper snowflakes and garlands in a while. The holiday show is a tradition we love — and have missed — at NPR Music, so when considering an artist to deck the halls of the office, I kept coming back to Sixpence None the Richer.
So much of the holiday season, especially as we grow older, is about finding a balance between bright lights and dark nights. Sixpence None the Richer's music finds depth in the in-between, with buoyant melodies that twist and twirl, and lyrics underpinned by awe and wonder. "The Last Christmas" slowly waltzes the opening of this set, exploring the endings and beginnings of parenthood, inspired by the birth of guitarist Matt Slocum's first child. Leigh Nash introduces "It Came Upon a Midnight Clear" as a holiday standard she listens to year-round, its depictions of angels — whom she brilliantly calls "alien-adjacent" — a source of comfort. Nash also shares "Eternal Gifts," from one of her solo records, her candied voice sitting between a lilt and a twang as pedal steel rumbles and recedes beneath.
But you can't bring Sixpence None the Richer to the Tiny Desk and not ask the band to play some of its most defining work. "Melody of You," to me, is a modern psalm — and of a piece with Christmas, as a love letter from an artist to their creator. And then, of course, there's the song that keeps finding new life. Coming up on its 30 birthday, "Kiss Me" has taken the band around the world and found fans in unexpected places; Slocum joked with me that it's given him cred with his daughters. But "Kiss Me" also provides a simple sweetness at a moment when it's desperately needed. Before she sings, Nash sends us off with this message: "All the hope and love in the world to you, and happy holidays."
And if you are looking for more seasonal cheer, you can stream holiday music 24/7 from NPR stations across the country, exclusively available on the NPR App. Just click on the Music tab.
SET LIST
"The Last Christmas"
"It Came Upon a Midnight Clear"
"Melody of You"
"Eternal Gifts"
"Kiss Me"
MUSICIANS
Leigh Nash: vocals
Matt Slocum: guitar
Justin Cary: bass
Jon Radford: drums
Steve Hindalong: percussion
Phil Madeira: accordion, lap steel
TINY DESK TEAM
Producer: Lars Gotrich
Director/Editor: Maia Stern
Audio Technical Director: Neil Tevault
Host/Series Producer: Bobby Carter
Videographers: Maia Stern, Joshua Bryant, Mitra I. Arthur
Audio Engineer: Josephine Nyounai
Production Assistants: Dora Levite, Dhanika Pineda
Photographer: Zayrha Rodriguez
Tiny Desk Team: Kara Frame, Josh Newell
Executive Producer: Suraya Mohamed
Executive Director: Sonali Mehta
Series Creators: Bob Boilen, Stephen Thompson, Robin Hilton
Category
🎵
MusicTranscript
00:00Support for NPR Music comes from Moises, a platform created by musicians for musicians and used by 70 million artists worldwide to learn, create, and collaborate. Available for download.
00:30I feel your heart beating inside my own skin And I think of Mary in Bethlehem At night in a stable our Savior was born Yes, we have so much to be thankful for On the last Christmas, the last Christmas, the last Christmas Without you
01:00We're choosing the colors Preparing your room For one day midsummer The advent of you Whether we wait for This heavenly gift This winter with wonder Enchanted that this is The last Christmas
01:30The last Christmas, the last Christmas Without you
01:37See the stars shining from above Hear the serelym singing Praise to the giver of life and love Maker of beautiful things
01:58I feel your heart beating inside my own skin And I think of Mary in Bethlehem When darkness was shattered The dawn of God's grace And the journey began To the first Easter day
02:19On this last Christmas, the last Christmas, the last Christmas, the very last Christmas
02:29The last Christmas, the last Christmas, the last Christmas Without you
02:39Thank you so much.
03:06The next song we're going to do, we recorded a while ago, and it's one of my favorite
03:13Christmas standards, It Came Upon a Midnight Clear, because I think it has the most vivid
03:19imagery of angels, and I think at a time such as this, it's one of the most comforting things
03:27that I can think of, and so I hope that it brings you comfort right now, or any time.
03:34I listen to it actually all year round, because I just, I think it's so almost alien adjacent,
03:41aliens and angels, whatever, but here it is, It Came Upon a Midnight Clear.
03:47It came upon a midnight clear, a glorious song of old, from angels bending near the earth,
04:12to touch their harps of gold, Peace on the earth,
04:19good will to men from heaven, O gracious King, The world in solemn stillness lay,
04:31to hear the angels sing, Still through the cloven skies they come,
04:48with peaceful wings unfurled, And still their heavenly music flows,
04:58O'er all the weary world, About its sad and lowly plain, They bend on hovering wings,
05:12And ever o'er its babble sounds, The blessed angels sing,
05:22with profound and후ld on drowning, Lost on hills and can'trawls.
05:39guitar solo
06:09guitar solo
06:39And hear the angels sing
06:45And hear the angels sing
06:50And hear the angels sing
06:54And hear the angels sing
07:24And hear the angels sing
07:54And hear the angels sing
08:24It shifts from the dark
08:26We need a poem that flows
08:30Caressing my skin
08:32In all of these
08:34Things you reside
08:36And I want to flow
08:38From the Pinball
08:40And brush with paper
08:42And string
08:43And canvas touch
08:46With ink and the air to dust your light
08:51From morning to the dark of night
08:55This is my call, I belong to you
09:00This is my call to sing the melody of you
09:06This is my call, I can do nothing else
09:11I can do nothing else
09:16You're the scent of an unfound blue
09:28A sample too
09:30I only write variations too
09:34A drink that will knock me down on the floor
09:40A key that will unlock the door
09:43Where I hear a voice sing familiar things
09:48Then beckons me weep
09:51Notes in between
09:53A bow and a string
09:56A tap and glass
09:58You bore me till the day has passed
10:03This is my call, I belong to you
10:08This is my call to sing the melody of you
10:13This is my call, I can do nothing else
10:18I can do nothing else
10:23This is my call, I belong to you
10:28This is my call, I belong to you
10:37This is my call, I belong to you
10:40This is my call to sing the melody of you
10:46This is my call, I belong to you
10:50This is my call, I belong to you
10:54This is my call, I belong to you
10:57This is my call, I can do nothing else
11:03This is my call, I belong to you
11:04This is my call, I belong to you
11:05This is my call, I belong to you
11:06This is my call, I belong to you
11:08This is my call, I belong to you
11:10This is my call, I belong to you
11:11This is my call, I belong to you
11:12This is my call, I belong to you
11:13This is my call, I belong to you
11:14This is my call, I belong to you
11:15This is my call, I belong to you
11:16This is my call, I belong to you
11:17This is my call, I belong to you
11:18This is my call, I belong to you
11:19This is my call, I belong to you
11:20This is my call, I belong to you
11:22I can't do nothing else
11:52I can't do nothing else
12:22I can't do nothing else
12:52Santa knows what I want for Christmas
13:00But Jesus knows what I need
13:07It can't be purchased
13:12Wrapped up and placed
13:16Under an eight-foot tree
13:21I need patience, kindness, virtues like these
13:30To bend on my knee at the manger
13:36Santa may bring things that last for a year
13:45But eternal gifts come from the Savior
13:51Some days come when I'm just plain selfish
13:59And I can't think of no one but me
14:05And I think of all that I'm blessed with
14:13And it's always best to give than to receive
14:20I need faithfulness, love, generosity
14:28To open my home to a stranger
14:34Santa may bring things that last for a year
14:42But eternal gifts come from the Savior
14:48guitar solo
15:25Santa knows what I want for Christmas, but Jesus knows what I need.
15:49That song was written by a great friend of ours named Kate York, if anybody wants to
15:58know.
15:58She's an incredible songwriter.
16:01So we're going to do one more song.
16:03I just want to introduce everyone.
16:06This is Phil Madeira and Matt Slocum.
16:09John Radford on the drums, Justin Carey in the beautiful sweater, and Steve Handelong
16:17on all the bells and whistles.
16:22I'm Leigh Nash, and we are very grateful to have been invited to be on Tiny Desk today.
16:28So thank you for having us, and all the hope and love in the world to you, and happy holidays.
17:02Beside the green, green dress, swing, swing, swing the spinning step.
17:10You wear those shoes and I wear a wear that dress.
17:14Oh, kiss me beneath the milky twilight.
17:20Lead me on the moon, lift your open head, strike up the band, make the barflies dance, silver moon sparkly.
17:33So kiss me.
17:35So kiss me.
17:47Kiss me down by the broken treehouse, swing me upon a tanging time.
17:57Rain, rain, rain, rain, rain, rain, your flowered hat, we'll take the trail marked on your father's map.
18:06Oh, kiss me beneath the milky twilight.
18:11Lead me on the moon, lift your open head, strike up the band, make the barflies dance, silver moon sparkly.
18:24So kiss me.
18:28Kiss me.
18:30La, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la.
18:46So kiss me beneath the milky twilight
19:02Lead me on the moonlit floor
19:07Lift your open head
19:09Drag up the fan and make the far flies
19:12Dance and silver moon sparkles
19:15So kiss me
19:19Kiss me
19:29La la la la la
19:41La la la la
19:43La la la
19:46La la la la
19:50La la la
19:53La la la
20:13Thanks so much for watching.
20:29Support for NPR Music comes from Moises, committed to ethical innovation and empowering the creative
20:34community with tools for musicians to master their craft.
20:38Hey there, Felix Contreras here from NPR Music.
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